Balancing Darkness
by zoepeanut
Summary: Zeref has always been surrounded by darkness and death. After forgetting the value of life, he finds himself even more immersed in the dark path he once feared to take. Is there anyone out there who can balance out the shadows in his heart? Slight AU, will contain spoilers for the Alvarez Empire Arc.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:** I am not the owner of Fairy Tail

 **Warning: This story will contain spoilers for the Alvarez Empire Arc of Fairy Tail. Also, the main pairing of this story is Natsu X Zeref (Boy X Boy), so if you do not like it, you don't have to read it!**

 **This is slightly AU for Fairy Tail - Natsu and Zeref are not brothers in this story.**

It was peaceful this time of year, on Tenrou Island. Zeref stood surrounded by trees, still green and living for the time being, with a blue sky overhead as he frowned. He had spent a long time in this place, isolated from the world, yet that did not stop him from admiring the beauty of life around him. Animals, living and following their need for survival, as well as plants, so vibrant that they seemed to take on a life of their own. Zeref couldn't help but wonder how he was forgetting to value these things, yet as more time passed, it seemed far less important to him.

The trees around him slowly began to wilt away, their leaves falling as the grass died beneath his feet and animals fell dead from his presence. It was inescapable, this curse, yet somehow, it was hurting less and less every time he witnessed it in action. He stood still in the center of a sea of death, staring around at the darkened landscape with passive eyes. Life was valuable, but he saw far more of death than life. The more death he caused, the more pointless life became in his eyes. What was the point of trying to protect others, when they would only die in the end? It would only make him suffer more, and it seemed as if he would be rejected anyway, no matter what he did.

He had come to this place to protect the world, to save humans from his curse. He had stayed within society for as long as possible, hoping that he could find a wizard strong enough to destroy him, but eventually, it grew to be too painful to be there. Humans despised his very being, seeing his magic as intentional regardless of if he attempted to explain or not. Creating his demons had not made things better, not when they had their minds set on causing chaos and destruction. Thus, it was better for him to be in a place like this, where only plants and animals would perish rather than beings who seemed at least more like him. Still, these animals had just as much of a right to fight for their lives as the wizards he once associated with. Staring at the dead animals now, he felt a piece of his resolve fade away, losing sight of just how valuable human life could be.

With a sigh, Zeref began to move past the death he had just caused, further into the hidden island. Much of it continued to look the same, the trees blending into one another even if the animals around him changed. A few bushes were seen as well, smaller leafy plants that were standing by his feet. He considered leaving at times, attempting to get back to civilization to see if the strength of the wizards' had changed yet. It would be best if he was killed before he forgot the value of life, before he truly began destroying the world for his own gain. As it stood now, he was almost out of time, something that could be seen by the lack of death magic around him at times.

Zeref paused in his walking, frowning at something he was hearing in the air. He had to be mistaken, he decided. Voices should not exist on this island, a place without humans. It had been isolated for years now, he had yet to see a single person here. It was why he had chosen this place, since he had not seen anyone here in nearly a century now. Still, even if he was able to deny his ears and write off the noise as a strange animal, he was not able to deny his eyes. He stood before a small clearing in the forest, seeing two people sitting on the grass. One was a muscular man with spiky white hair, shirtless and sitting only a slight distance across from a much smaller girl. Her hair was long and curly, with glasses covering her eyes as they both turned in surprise at the sound of Zeref's voice. "There's someone on this island?"

Zeref's gaze fell away from them, his hands still by his sides as his hair hung down over his eyes. "I thought there would be no one here." he added quietly, unsure of what to do now. They were safe for now, quite a ways away, but humans often grew curious about strangers. It would be dangerous, if they lingered for long.

He watched the two stand, the man looking somewhat wary by the girl's side. Zeref could sense magical power from them, informing him that they were wizards, but it was definitely far too weak for his needs. They could not destroy him with their power, at least, not yet. "Who are you?" the man demanded, but Zeref remained silent, still contemplating if they could be useful or not to his plans. He was a good judge of magical power usually, and this time, he needed to see their potential for growth.

They both could become quite powerful, but Zeref knew such things took time. He didn't have the time to wait, not right now. Perhaps if there were others, he could face them in battle, but it was only the two at the moment. "Only people from our guild can enter here." the girl added, when Zeref did not reply.

This was becoming even more troublesome, if it was associated with a guild. There was only one guild he knew of that would use this island, the guild belonging to the girl he had once destroyed. "Guild? Oh, so this island is administrated by the guild." Zeref mused, but that only seemed to anger the people before him.

He saw the man move to take a step closer, and Zeref acted on instinct. He held his hand out, palm towards them as a warning before shouting out. "No! Don't approach me."

When the two only stared at him in confusion, Zeref realized it was pointless to reason with them. "Fine, I'll leave." he told them. "Just please, don't come near me." The danger was still there for them, and he would not risk their lives if they could not destroy him. It wasn't worth it, not seeing more death and despair around him when nothing would be gained.

Something began to build within him again, a pounding in his head that made him close his eyes and grimace, bringing his hands up to try and contain the pressure he could feel. He could hear vaguely that the other two were talking again, but the only thing on his mind was the pounding in his ears, and the feeling of a massive power building that made his head feel like it was going to explode. "No….it's coming…" he breathed out between his teeth, sweat dripping down his cheek as he tried to contain it. He had put some value on the lives of these two, so it was only to be expected that this would happen. "The death preying….is coming…."

He was blinded by the outburst, incapable of seeing what had survived and what had died. Darkness exploded from his body, killing the plants that surrounded him once more as he hunched over, clutching his head tightly. As much as it hurt, it was often hard to tell how much time had passed when this occurred. He knew those two had been too close when this started though, that this magic would kill them regardless of his wishes. Tears were flowing from his eyes when the magic wore off, his gaze turning upwards to see the aftermath.

The two were somehow alive, that was what first caught his attention. His eyes were wide, his lips parted in surprise at the sight of a newcomer, a boy with wild pink hair pushing the two down onto the ground. This boy's magical energy was strong, far stronger than the other two, and it had the potential to grow even further. As Zeref stared at him, a small amount of hope stirred within him, an emotion he had not felt in a long time. The boy turned his gaze upward, glaring harshly at Zeref. "Who are you?"

There was debate amongst the people before him, that interrupted any chance Zeref may have had to answer the question. Still, the black wizard was more focused on analyzing this magical energy he sensed from the boy. It wasn't quite active, but there was a dormant power within him that could make the impossible possible. After all of these years, the answer was finally in front of him, the chance to end his existence. A small smile formed on his face at the thought, but the boy did not seem too pleased.

Zeref had been ignoring the boy, but now the pinkette charged forward, ready to attack over something so small. He had not even said a word to the boy, yet he was upset over the death around them. It seemed as if the world had yet to change, that no one was capable of seeing his desire for an end to all of this death and despair. Still, this was his chance, and he was not going to hinder it in any way. Zeref stood still as the boy charged forward, letting the pink haired wizard throw a strong punch towards Zeref. It send the black wizard flying down to the ground, where his smile slowly faded away.

The punch had been powerful, but it was not enough. He could feel it already, the lack of injury on his body. That small amount of hope he had felt earlier, it was slowly wilting away just as all the plants had around him. Tears were in his eyes once more, his head hung low to his chest as he picked himself up off of the ground. He didn't want to kill anyone, and the one person he had met in centuries with such great power was incapable of unlocking it. Perhaps, if he tried again it would work. This boy had to stay alive, if Zeref wished to finally die. Staring over at Natsu, Zeref found that he could make plans for it, so long as he lived the boy would become stronger.

Those thoughts were a bad idea though; his head pounded once more with magic. He grabbed his head tightly, hunching over at the pain returning. "Run…" he gasped, trying to warn the boy in time. He couldn't hold it in, and Natsu was far too close. His final hope, it was going to die because he wanted the boy to live. That was the saddest part of all, the fact that he himself would destroy his own hope. As the magic exploded once more, Zeref used it as a cover to escape from this place. He didn't want to see the boy's body, to see more death around him. His spell would linger in the area for a moment, sucking all of the life away from it while Zeref vanished from sight, teleporting deeper within the forest. He leaned back against a tree, sitting on the ground as he gazed upward towards the sky. It seemed as if he would always be rejected by this world, and no one would be capable of stopping him when he moved to reject it in return.

* * *

He sensed it, when the war began. This place that had been so peaceful was now flooded with magical energy, wild and angry as it lashed out against others. He had hoped that he could avoid tedious battles in this place, rest while he focused on keeping the value of life in mind. He should have known war would be inevitable, however, it did not stop the burning rage he felt growing within his heart.

With a goal in mind, Zeref began traveling once more. He knew the guild would not be responsible for this war, not when Fairy Tail was known for being closer than most families were. This had to have come from an outsider's interference, and Zeref would find and destroy them for interrupting his rest. His power was not entirely under his control yet, but it was closer as his anger let the value of life fade to the back of his mind.

He thought he could end it quickly when he came across the first of the seeds of discord. A dark guild, searching for his power once more. History always seemed to repeat itself like this, and the girl with long black hair was no different than the other dark wizards he'd come across. She wished for his existence, yet she knew nothing of him or what he was like. His anger seemed to surprise the girl, but that did not mean it wasn't real.

With her refusal to back down, Zeref had planned on destroying her once and for all. The world would be better without wizards like her, who only brought about destruction and death. However, he had underestimated his lack of control. It had been years since he used his magic, since he was active in shaping the outcome of the world's destiny, and that was also a factor that added in to his defeat. Her arc of time magic was impressive. He had studied time magic for quite some time, and it was not something he expected to see utilized in this era. Her power may not have been capable of destroying him, but his body was capable of reaching a point of exhaustion after expending so much of his magical energy on the healing his curse forced his body through.

Zeref did not know how long he was unconscious for, and it mattered little. His anger had not faded, and this woman showed him just how dark humanity had become. They were not worth saving, none of them deserved to live a moment longer. Even in the darkness of his dreams, all he could see were the horrors of the world, and the fact that it would be better off if the living just perished as his curse once forced them to do. That was the worst part of all, he supposed, since he had once valued their lives so much. Humans were nothing to him, and he was going to make that woman and her comrades pay for making him forget why he had valued them once.

His anger was part of what woke him up, along with the final release of his death magic. It was its last cry, attempting to cling to Zeref's last lingering attachment to life as it burst from his body. As soon as it did so, Zeref's senses returned, and he could feel what was coming. A power unlike any other was approaching this island. Everyone here would perish, and a new era would be rushed in. "Acnologia…" he whispered, staring up at the sky as he sighed, leaning down near the boy that had perished in his magic. He wasn't the same as the girl that had taken him, nor were the two girls that still lived. Glancing up at the sky, Zeref began to understand the anger rising within him, and decided that perhaps it was a good thing. An era was about to come to an end, so it was time to move on from this place. Acnologia would destroy this powerful guild, and give him an opportunity he had yet to have in quite some time. Fairy Heart would be unguarded, and Acnologia would be the key to retrieving it.

He sat back, deciding that he would wait for now. The war was nearing its end, the magical energy dying down for now. He would finish off the intruding party soon enough, and then Fairy Tail would cease to exist after Acnologia's attack. Still, he did not wait for long, deciding that after a short rest he was tired of waiting. His contemplation only led his mind to darker thoughts, already planning on utilizing the greatest magical power Fairy Tail possessed for his own needs. With that on his side, he would end his own existence, or perhaps even stop it before it first began. It wasn't impossible, and the thought made him smile ever so slightly as he rose to his feet.

Zeref glanced out over towards the ocean, unable to spot it through the thick trees. In that direction, however, was the strongest source of magical energy beyond Acnologia. As the dragon neared the island, Zeref teleported away with his magic, towards the water. Once he saw the airship, he knew where to go for his attack, and who to get his revenge on.

Inside, there were only three individuals, a pitiful showing of what remained of one of the most powerful dark guilds in existence. They wanted to awaken his power, and it was clear that they were misguided as to how to do so. "I am awoken now." Zeref told them, irritated and impatient with their ignorance. "It's not like I'm the one to say, but how many lives are you going to take just to get that key?"

The man didn't seem capable of comprehending Zere'fs words, still injured from his own battle against Fairy Tail. "How miserable, even though it's just a pretense. One of the obsessions from people misbelieving in the black wizard Zeref is an illusory thing called the Zeref Key of Revival. Are you believing in such a made up story from long ago?" Zeref demanded, his eyes narrowing at the man before him as his glare harshened. "The black wizard Zeref, who is standing here, never slept to begin with."

His magical power was building within him along with his anger, seeing these pathetic humans cowering before him. "I saw numerous people dying in the fight four hundred years ago, but I also came to understand the value of life that day. It all started from that time, my body that received the curse started to care more about living things, and began helplessly taking other's lives. Because I don't want to kill, I can't help by try to forget the most important thing about a human life." Zeref continued glaring at them, his hands resting at his sides as he did his best to explain this to him. They needed to understand before he killed them, to know why he was angry and what they had done wrong. "I feel very sad."

"I will bring your punishment." he stated, raising his arms into the air as he prepared his spell. The man did not seem capable of comprehending what he had done, and Zeref was tired of waiting. "For the sin of making me forget the importance of life, repent." Zeref's hands were stretched outwards, black magic enveloping the ship as he destroyed the man with a single spell. His followers seemed surprised, but Zeref was still angry. "Trash that doesn't know any better, fall into hell." he ordered, his eyes glowing red with his anger. At that moment, his angry haze vanished suddenly, as a great magical aura entered his senses. Acnologia was here, and Zeref realized his mistake. He was going too far, losing sight of himself once more.

He stumbled back, pressing his palm to his face as he glared at the two remaining members of this dark guild. Acnologia would finish them off for him, right now he had other plans to deal with. Zeref wouldn't even need his army to take Fairy Heart, not if the guild was on the island right now. It was the perfect chance, and that was why he vanished from sight at that very moment, not even sparing another glance at the island. It was time for him to become active again, for this world to remember why it was best to leave him alone. The Black Wizard Zeref was not going to stand by and let this world reject him. He would fight back, and change his destiny no matter how much it took.

 **I've been inspired to write a rather strange pairing, thanks to V. Shalyr and his/her amazing stories! I highly recommend reading them, if you are interested in seeing other Natsu X Zeref stories out there. The main reason I wrote this was because I saw that Firelight and Shadows by V. Shalyr was not going to cover the Tartaros Arc or the Alvarez Empire Arc of Fairy Tail, so I decided to write my own versions of them with this pairing in place. It might take a while to get to that point, but that is ultimately the direction I plan on taking this story in.**

 **Please review and tell me what you think!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer:** I am not the owner of Fairy Tail

Zeref was not pleased when he arrived at the guild hall, seeing wizards gathered within. He had assumed that all of Fairy Tail would have been on the island when Acnologia arrived, but a few had remained behind. He stood outside of the building, gazing up at the place Mavis had created long ago. It had changed over the years, and now it had grown much. The people within, however, were a problem he had not wished to deal with. It would be tedious to battle them now, when it would mean he could not leave while he defended their greatest secret. Transporting Lumen Histoire would not be a simple task, and Zeref did not feel the inclination to remain and defend it until he finalized the plans for his spell.

Seeing this as a pointless adventure, Zeref turned to leave. It had been a week since Acnologia's attack, and he could already see the affects of it on this town. Wizards were rushing through the crowds on the street, all in a hurry to get to the docks. Tenrou Island had vanished completely, annihilated due to Acnologia's sheer power. This was the outcome Zeref had expected, and the devastation and despair was not a surprise. A young boy pushed his way past Zeref, shoving him aside and into a wall as he ran towards the docks. His hair was black like Zeref's, and he seemed determined to reach the boat that was about to leave. His magic power was quite weak at the time, but it mattered little to Zeref at the moment. He needed to form a new plan, something he could act on during the guild's moment of weakness.

He took a step towards the docks, frowning as he debated if his empire could be of any use. His generals would be strong enough to defend Fairy Heart, however, some of them may not be pleased with Zeref's plans. He knew some of them valued his life far too much to be willing to help end it, so perhaps he should not go to them. His approach towards the docks stopped at this thought, now standing and staring at the edge of the water with a frown. A boat left the docks, passing by his side as he debated just what would be best for his plans.

The water continued crashing down in small waves against the wooden poles of the dock. The sun was setting in the distance, and Zeref remained motionless for quite some time, lost in thought as he stood on the edge of this place, wanting to leave but also wanting to remain and fight. His gaze was sad as he stared out at the water, unable to see a clear path at the moment.

Perhaps he was thinking too hard about this. Fighting to gain Fairy Heart would be pointless, only resulting in more death and wasted time as he attempted to guard it from other wizards who would seek its power. Instead, he should find a way to gain their trust, so he could remain near Fairy Heart until the time came when he would utilize it.

With a smile on his face, Zeref turned his gaze towards the darkening sky. For this to work, he would need a disguise of some form. As unlikely as it was, some of the members of Fairy Tail from Tenrou Island may have left during their war with Grimoire Heart. He could not risk being recognized, but altering his form was quite simple at the moment. Transformation magic was something he had studied while looking into creating his demons, trying to conceal their power with innocent appearances. His long life meant he was capable of using many types of magic, and this one was no different.

Gazing down at his reflection, Zeref let the transformation fall over his body. It had been quite some time since he had used this, so he had to utilize someone else as a guideline for his new form. Perhaps he could take on their life in this world, though it would be challenging considering how little he knew about the person whose face he now wore. Gazing into the water, he could see the scattered reflection of a young woman with long black hair, so similar to his old appearance yet different only in gender. He supposed his face looked a bit kinder like this, but the sadness in his eyes remained, as did the frown that never seemed to leave his expression. His black robes stayed present, fitting differently than before now that his figure was that of a female.

Glancing down at himself, Zeref decided that the disguise would work well enough. He could make the claim that he had turned over a new leaf, abandoning the dark guild he had been in for a chance to be useful to this world. It wasn't entirely inaccurate, since he truly did wish to aid the world by destroying himself. Then again, with his new plan, he might not even have to perish to do that. The Eclipse Gate was something he had not thought of in a long time, but now, he realized it had even more potential than he had first realized. Perhaps it could alter the past entirely, allowing him to stop himself before he gained his curse.

He would need to research this further, he decided, and to do that he would need to find his original notes for the spell. It had been quite some time since he used it, and with all of the dark guilds coveting his power and his spells, it would not surprise him to find it in their hands. Glancing at his reflection, he realized that it was rather fitting to take on this woman's persona for the task of finding it again. A wizard specializing in time magic would be quite interested in his old project, especially one who utilized arc of time magic like Ultear had. They did have a means of reversing time, however, such a spell came with the cost of the caster's life.

Zeref did not know if he would be capable of replicating the girl's magic, but he had seen enough dark wizards to know how to act as one. Perhaps he should take on that role for now, to seek out other dark guilds in search of the Eclipse Gate. It would be the most viable option for him, one that could lead to him being able to look further into it while under cover. "So, this is where you came." a calm voice stated from behind him, stopping Zeref's silent musings.

He turned around, frowning at the sight of a tall, slender man wearing a dark blue cloak. The hood was pulled up over his head, but Zeref could see the hint of blue hair peeking out from underneath it, along with a portion of a red marking underneath one of his eyes. "I'm busy, if you have business with me, make it quick." Zeref ordered, his voice coming out calm and feminine with his disguise.

"Is that so? I came here to help investigate the disappearance of Tenrou Island, but you seem to be far more interesting than that little mystery." the man stated, stepping closer to Zeref on the dock. "I had heard rumors that you were among the dark wizards that attacked the island, so tell me, how did you escape such a tragedy?"

Zeref glanced over at him, making sure to keep his expression calm rather than angry. If he lost control of his rage now, he would destroy the chance of using this man as a pawn of his. If he was investigating the island, he had connections to Fairy Tail, and he could be the key to gaining their trust. "I left before Acnologia arrived." Zeref said simply, seeing the wizard's frown just barely under the cover of his hood.

"Acnologia? I am not familiar with that name. Is this the one responsible for the disappearance of Fairy Tail's wizards?" he demanded.

Zeref gave a quick nod, debating how to react. "Few know of Acnologia's existence, I am not surprised with your ignorance."

The man gazed at him with a frown, nodding as well. "Then tell me, what happened to my friends? Did you even once think of anyone other than yourself, Ultear? Erza, Natsu, Lucy….they were all on the island, and I'm sure you had your own allies there as well." he stated, anger deep in his voice. He was getting closer as well, slowly taking steps to approach the wizard in disguise.

"There is no escape from Acnologia once he arrives. His presence marks the end of an era, and the start of a new one." Zeref stated calmly, watching the man stop and stand still before him. "Now, we simply must move on towards our future, which for many still remains unclear."

The man frowned at him, looking upward towards Zeref's face and finally giving him a decent view of what he looked like. "Then tell me, Ultear, is your future also unclear? I can show you a better path, if you'd like. I have been planning something lately, a way to atone for my sins. If you'd like, you can join me." he offered, holding his hand out towards Zeref as an offering.

Zeref gave the man a small smile, seeing his chance. "Atone for our sins? I do not think I can ever be free of so much blood on my hands." he commented, watching the man nod in agreement.

"Our pasts are both dark, filled with violence and hatred. You blinded me with your spell and forced me to build the Tower of Heaven, all in the effort of resurrecting Zeref." he began, making Zeref blink at him in surprise for a moment. This man had an interesting past, if he truly believed the black wizard had been dead. "I put up no resistance to your spell, harming countless of innocents that I once called friends, even Erza Scarlet who I valued more than any other in that place. Now, even the council posts wanted signs everywhere, searching for Jellal Fernandez, the man who I wish I had never become. I may have broken free from my prison, but my darkness still remains."

This worked out better than he had planned, giving Zeref some understanding as to what Ultear had done and how to act around this man. "Still, we both need to have hope. We may walk in the path of darkness, but we are doing our best to serve the light. Please, Ultear, I cannot do this alone. I wish to form an independent guild, one free of the ties of official guilds, yet not tainted like the dark guilds you know so well." Jellal added, making Zeref frown slightly.

"I see." he stated, gazing at the man calmly. He did not seem to be the kind of person who wished to abuse the black wizard's power, however, his goals had once been similar to those of the dark guilds that sought him out for their own needs. "What is your first goal for this independent guild of yours? I do not wish to waste my time with pointless endeavors, so I want to know how this will benefit me."

Jellal pulled his hood down, giving Ultear a smile. "I plan on finding and stopping Zeref. Much of the darkness in this world stems from his power, and I can sense his presence in many towns across the land. My first goal was to investigate further to the north, in a town called Rugratha. A dark guild has invaded them recently, and from what information I've gathered, they believe that the town is in possession of an ancient spell created by the Black wizard." Jellal insisted.

An ancient spell he had created could very likely be the Eclipse Gate. It may be worthwhile, joining with this wizard for the time being. "Is that so?" Zeref questioned, a small smile on his face. "I suppose I may join you then. After all, I do have quite a bit of interest in the Black Wizard. I will warn you, however, don't expect much aid from me in your plans. I wasted far too much of my magical energy in order to escape Acnologia's attack. I am not feeling inclined to use any more of it, for some foolish errand that may not hold any gain for us."

Jellal frowned at his comment, sighing as he shook his head. "I suppose that will have to do. So long as I can help turn you away from your dark path, I will be satisfied with the result." he insisted.

Zeref nodded, turning away from the water to walk back towards the shore. Jellal followed behind him, moving through the now empty streets of the city as night fell upon them. The blue haired man had pulled his hood back up, disguising himself from prying eyes as they moved further into town. "This way, Ultear. It will be quicker if we take the train." Jellal insisted, grabbing Zeref's hand and moving to take the lead. Zeref froze at the contact, yanking his arm back on instinct. He had been far more forceful than necessary, and Jellal turned to look at him with a frown at the change in his attitude.

"The train will be fine, however, I do not require your assistance in walking there." Zeref said harshly, still getting acquainted with his new voice. Perhaps he should have utilized the male that had perished from his magic, but it was too late for that. This disguise was here to stay, and for now, he would follow Jellal to investigate this town and its magic. Rugratha would surrender its knowledge to him, no matter how far Zeref had to go to obtain it.

 **Thank you for the reviews! You two are amazing, especially since most of my other stories are getting ignored at the moment when I update them...**

 **Guest: I hope this chapter somewhat clarifies it a bit. While I intend on going into the Alvarez Empire Arc and Tartaros, there is still the seven year time gap to address, since Zeref is not trapped within Fairy Sphere. I wanted to start during Tenrou Island due to the alteration of Natsu and Zeref not being brothers, but that means I will at least briefly be covering what occurs during those seven years for Zeref, as well as the GMG and Eclipse Gate Arc before we arrive at that point. Ultear's role will come into play for the beginning of this story, mainly during the creation of Crime Sorciere. After that point...well, you'll just have to read to find out :)**

 **Once again, please review and let me know what you think! If you guys review enough you may get weekly updates instead of monthly - at this point, we only need four more reviews to reach that goal!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer:** I am not the owner of Fairy Tail

The village was rather small, Zeref noted. Most of it was farmland, filled with cornfields and wheat as he walked through the countryside, trying to sense any hint of magic in the air. Jellal walked by his side, gazing up at the sky as he did the same. "Zeref has a unique magic signature that lingers on all of his creations. Even my own tower had a similar feel, since it was based off of his knowledge. I thought I'd be able to detect it by now." Jellal mused, sounding somewhat upset with himself.

The wind was blowing gently, pushing back Zeref's new long black hair. It was somewhat different, feeling that weight on his head where there had been nothing before. He frowned at Jellal's words, not pleased to hear that this man had utilized his own research in the past. "I can handle detecting the spell. Your task is to fight off the dark wizards who also seek its power." Zeref insisted, while Jellal shook his head, looking rather upset as they walked into a more populated area of town.

The farms were a bit more scarce here than they had been a moment ago, thought that did not mean they weren't visible. Instead, a few more houses dotted the green landscape, spread throughout rolling hills. This place seemed peaceful, and Zeref wondered if a place like this could have been decent for him to call home. It was quiet, and he was quite sure he could research as much as he wanted without attracting the attention of the Council or dark guilds. Even so, such a guild had found this place, over a simple rumor and a spell that neither he nor Jellal could detect.

"We should meet with the man who first came to me with this problem." Jellal said quietly, moving ahead of Zeref to search for this person. "His name is Lee, a wealthy merchant interested in protecting his wares. From what I understood, he does a lot of travel for his business, selling magical artifacts around Fiore for a living. Small towns like this get a lot of his attention, because they are often near ancient civilizations that contain spells or artifacts to add to his merchandise."

Zeref nodded, silently following after him as Jellal turned down another dirt road. This one led into a rather odd looking part of town, one that did not seem to match with the calm, natural setting the rest of the place was based on. Stands were set up on both sides of the streets, lining it for over a mile. People gathered at each of them, voices echoing around Zeref and Jellal as people bartered over the prices of goods at each stand. Merchants without customers were calling out to the people walking by, trying to get their attention by claiming they had the best wares in the land, or at least something to that effect.

Zeref moved somewhat closer to Jellal at the sight, uncomfortable with such a large crowd. He had spent far too long in isolation, where noise like this could not reach him. Humans like this were greedy, only looking after themselves, and Zeref was not inclined to mingle with them in any form. Jellal made no comment about his actions, simply moving forward swiftly with his gaze focused on the street instead of the merchants.

Zeref mimicked his actions, not turning his head in the slightest as people called out to him, trying to sell him their wares. He found it odd, hearing merchants attempt to get his attention for jewelry or dresses, but it was to be expected with his current appearance. He supposed having a locket around his neck was not enough to dissuade jewelers from trying to sell him pointless trinkets that were meant to make women more attractive for some reason.

Jellal continued moving before stopping at the edge of a large crowd. People of all kinds gathered around a table with an assortment of products, anything from small charms meant to alter one's appearance, to larger magical items such as communication lacrima or silver gate keys. Zeref could sense the magical energy of this booth from where he stood, but overall, it was far weaker than what he would have expected from anything noteworthy that he had ever created.

"Here is your chance, young wizards! I offer you all the opportunity to purchase a one of the kind magical artifact! Two days from now, I will be holding an auction, where you will see a spell created by the legendary Black Wizard Zeref! Even I am unaware of what it does, but for the right price, I assure you, it can be yours." the merchant was shouting, a loud and cheerful voice that managed to pierce through the noise of the crowd.

Zeref pushed passed the others, glaring at the merchant as he shoved anyone aside who got in his way. "Ultear, what—" Jellal began, but his voice became masked by the noise of the crowd. The other wizard was lost to him, as his sole focus rested on the man claiming to be selling one of his ancient spells.

Now at the front of the crowd, Zeref glared at the merchant who seemed quite pleased with himself. The man had short brown hair, and round cheeks. It was clear that he had plenty of money for food, based on the size of his stomach, but even so, he did his best to look well. He was dressed in a black suit, with a dark red tie hidden beneath his jacket as he grinned around and showed off his bright, white teeth. "You claim to have such power? I sense no such artifact here, Merchant. Prove to me that you are not lying, and perhaps I will allow you to live." Zeref threatened, leaning close to the man.

His eyes widened and he leaned back, his smile vanishing at the threat. "Wh—who are you? Guards, stop this woman!" he cried, pointing to Zeref who grabbed the man's hand, yanking him over the table with a glare.

Someone came from behind him, a wizard he noted, but his focus was entirely on the liar leaning over the desk covered in small charms and magical items. "I am angry, and you do not wish to antagonize me any further." Zeref warned in a low voice, hearing the people closest to him begin to panic. They were fighting to leave now, trying to put some space between themselves and Zeref, but there wasn't enough space with such a large crowd. "Show me this artifact of yours, the one designed by Zeref." he ordered.

"Ultear, stop this!" a voice shouted, making him turn his gaze upward towards Jellal. He was now making his way through the crowd, seeing as some of it had thinned in the panic. "Lee, I am so sorry about her actions. Ultear is a new comrade of mine, and she is still far too used to being a part of the darkness." Jellal explained, pulling Zeref back from the merchant. He turned his glare on to the blue haired wizard instead, who was interfering with his work. Behind him, a young girl with dark purple hair had arrived, holding a small blade of ice in her grip that was ready to attack at a moment's notice. "Ultear, this is not how we go about getting answers. We are seeking a better path than this, show me that you are capable of change." Jellal ordered.

Zeref could not stop himself from glaring at the wizard, but he could hold off on killing them for now. He still had his uses as a pawn, if he could truly bring Zeref to Fairy Heart one day. That was the only reason Zeref backed down, pulling free from Jellal and crossing his arms over his chest to stare at the merchant. "Where did you find such a monstrosity? She threatened to take my life!" Lee declared, sounding appalled by the idea.

"I understand, Ultear was once a part of Grimoire Heart, one of the dark guilds of the Baram Alliance." Jellal explained, but Zeref was closing his eyes, breathing deeply to try and think of anything else but this. Perhaps mediation would focus his senses and allow him to detect this artifact nearby. The obvious ones masked the presence of anything else quite well, drawing most of the attention to weak baubles and trinkets, but Zeref knew that a wealthy man like this had to have something more valuable than what he could see here. "We came to investigate this artifact you are selling. Skylight Cross is here in town, and we cannot allow that dark guild to get their hands on anything Zeref created in the past." Jellal added.

"Don't mention them!" the girl shouted, grabbing Jellal's arm with a pout on her face. She still was rather young, her hair short and tied up in pigtails. Unlike the merchant, she was quite slender and wore a simple white dress, no frills or anything fancy to decorate her outfit. A simple golden bracelet glimmered on her wrist, but beyond that, she wore no jewelry. "That guild…they took everything Lee had. This artifact, it is the only thing left that he can salvage any value out of." she whimpered, tears in her eyes. "He took me in when I had nothing, and in return I will protect him with my life! I cannot allow anyone to say that name so calmly, even if they are fighting back against them. Simply mentioning their name will bring them here, I know it will."

Zeref opened his eyes, smiling at the girl with a glint of amusement in his eyes. "They must have quite powerful magic, if that is the case. I do not think even the Black Wizard knows when someone mentions his name." he commented, watching the girl stare at him with fear in her gaze.

"Ultear, stay out of this. You've done enough damage here, I think it would be best for you to leave." Jellal stated, but Zeref was shaking his head, smiling as he gazed at the merchant behind the counter.

"No, I do not think I will. It took me quite some time to recognize this town, but now that I do, I think I know just what you've found." Zeref commented, watching the man's eyes widen. "I know more about Zeref than anyone else in this world, yet I never thought I would be this close to that place. We are only a few miles west of where the Mildian Magic Academy once stood, before Zeref unleashed his power upon those within."

Jellal stared at him with wide eyes, stunned into silence at Zeref's comment. That place, he had not wanted to remember it, but now that he did, he knew why he had chosen to avoid this area. As peaceful as it was, this town would only bring back painful memories of a past he was fighting to have back. "I can't say much about it. If you are interested in purchasing the item, you can learn about it with everyone else—" Lee began, but Zeref was focused on the girl now, smiling at her with a softness in his gaze.

"No, I would not sell it if I were you." he stated, interrupting the man. "If dark wizards are after such an item, they are seeking out an object with living magic, or an object with death magic. What you possess contains neither, an oddity among the collection of spells created by the Black Wizard."

Jellal frowned, turning towards him with a look of pure confusion. "Zeref is known solely for living magic and death magic. Ultear, I do not know where you have been studying, but I am sure you are incorrect in this matter." he insisted. "Still, I do not disagree that it is unwise to sell such an object. Who knows what it is truly capable of?"

Zeref scowled, unsure of what to do to convince them of the truth. "Both of you, stop it! Lee told you about this artifact so you would keep it safe, not so you would take it for yourselves." the girl argued, catching Zeref's attention once more.

"Who are you?" Zeref said quietly, watching the girl blink in surprise. Zeref's mood seemed to have changed quite suddenly, and she was unsure of how to react.

"I…My name is Sonora, and I recently began training with ice magic. I'm…I guess I'm not all that skilled yet, but I wanted to…." she began, trailing off as she glanced over at Lee. The merchant moved out from his counter, stepping over to her side and touching her shoulder gently. He seemed to be a bit older than the girl, but Zeref was already seeing what had happened.

"You lost someone close to you, and this man protected you as a result." he stated calmly, watching the girl nod, avoiding his gaze. "If you truly wish to keep him safe, let him keep the bracelet. It is a far better protection for him than an untrained ice wizard could be."

Lee glared over at Zeref, looking angered on Sonora's behalf. "How dare you? Sonora is a prodigy, and I will not let some insolent little brat insult her like this!" he declared, while Jellal closed his eyes, pressing his hand to his forehead.

"If you wish for her to be trained, it is a simple matter." Jellal commented, glancing over at Zeref with a look of annoyance. "Ultear is the daughter of an ice-wizard, and from what I've gathered, she is skilled in maker magic herself. Since we will have to remain in town until your auction, she can spend her time mentoring Sonora to make up for her previous behavior."

Zeref stilled, knowing he was not capable of such a thing. Yes, he had once taught magic to a small group of people wishing to be wizards, but that was different than specialized magic. That had been the basics of magic, helping Mavis and her friends understand the concepts of how magic worked, but this would require knowledge of specific spells and runes to activate and tap into Sonora's ice magic. "Really? Thank you so much, this is going to be amazing! Come on, Ultear, I want to start right away!" Sonora cheered, grabbing Zeref's arm and pulling him after her.

He glanced back towards Jellal, seeing the man moving to talk more with Lee. It seemed he was trapped in this lesson for now, but he would not remain like this for long. This town could be useful, with its location. If anything survived from that academy, perhaps he could locate his original notes on the Eclipse Gate. It was unlikely, but not impossible for them to still be hidden within the ruins. With that in mind, Zeref decided to play along for now with this girl, until he could manipulate this situation to his advantage. After all, ruins were quite isolated, and worked well for practicing unstable magic.

 **Alright, I've got another chapter ready for you all! I have to say, I don't usually work with OCs in my fanfics, so this is a bit of a new thing for me. If something doesn't quite seem to fit, let me know and I'll try to work on it. Feel free to review and let me know what you think!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer:** I am not the owner of Fairy Tail

Sonora was quite cheerful, Zeref noted as they walked. She spoke endlessly about how eager she was to learn more, and it was getting on his nerves quite easily. "My family hasn't been all that magical over the past few years. I mean, my parents were farmers, so I grew up planning on being just like them one day. That's all I planned on, a simple life at home, one day having a family, nothing more or less. I was so thrilled to find my magic, even if it meant following a different path." she began.

Zeref let her speak, not wanting to talk himself. Even if she was irritating, it was harmless to let her continue on. She was following him after all, letting him choose an adequate place to begin their lesson. He had worked with her all of last night, teaching her the basics of meditation to enhance her magical capability. It was beyond his capability to show her much further than that, since maker magic had never truly been one of his specialties. He had no need to study such things, not when his interests had always been in creating life.

Sonora was wearing a dark blue tank top today, loosely hanging over a short white skirt as they walked through the grassy hills towards the place Zeref had abandoned long ago. "I didn't think much about it, you know. Magic isn't an inherited trait, at least, I don't think it is. I feel special to have it, but if I had found it sooner, maybe I could have…maybe my parents…." she began, her voice trembling.

Zeref heard that tremor in his voice, his own expression growing distant as he remembered his own dark past. "Death is an inevitable part of life. Nothing is meant to live forever, and if you truly think about it, life without death would be a cursed existence for anyone to live through." he commented.

Sonora blinked at him, her eyes wide even though they were filled with moisture. "But…they were…they were too young! That dark guild….everything always comes back to them. At first, it wasn't anything too bad. They just wanted…..they wanted money, and if we paid them their fee….they left us alone. That was before those ruins were found, the place you mentioned back at the market." she began, her voice growing dark. "They said that place belonged to them, that we were no longer allowed to live in our town because of it. Those wizards….they came in and attacked our home, killing so many people just for….just for some stupid rumor! I hate them for what they've done, for killing my family! The few people there now were lucky, the ones they deemed usable to search the ruins for relics that we have to turn over to that guild. My parents though….I watched…that wizard…." she began, trailing off.

Zeref nodded silently, staring up at the sky with a frown. It was bright and sunny, making it hard to judge direction in this place, but Zeref knew this area better than he thought. "Such is the way of dark guilds, Sonora. Power is something they covet, yet none of them realize how futile their efforts truly are. Even if they did find the way to possess the power of the black wizard, the only thing it would result in is more pointless death and suffering." Zeref insisted.

He frowned at his own words, wondering why he even cared about such things. Humanity did not deserve any protection, yet somehow, this place was making him pause in his regression back into the monster who created demons and sought out nothing but destruction. Jellal was a man who saw himself as a villain, yet he still fought for redemption. Zeref wondered why he did so, when it was clear that humanity had given up on him as well. "You…do you even care?I mean…I don't exactly know you…but you remind me of them. The way you talk, especially when you first met Lee….I thought you were a part of that guild." she said quietly.

Zeref frowned, finally seeing the scenery changing. The long rolling grass was fading away, revealing small signs of a place that had long been forgotten. Crumbling white walls were visible in the distance, a few pieces of rubble scattered in the grass by their feet. Moss was growing in the stone, with cracks seen from the wear of the years on the building that Zeref had once lived within, learning magic along with like-minded peers. "At one time, I suppose I would have cared. I was like you once, however, I made a grave mistake. Do not be foolish enough to think that magic can change the world, Sonora, for there are barriers that even magic cannot breach." he warned.

Sonora frowned, her eyes gazing over at the place they were at. "I don't see it." she said at last. "You aren't like me, all you do is mope around and complain about the world. At least I try and change it." she argued. taking a step forward into the ruins. Some of the building still remained intact, the place where classes had once been held. It didn't look stable, however, so Zeref moved passed it quickly, searching out the place where students had once lived. It wasn't far from the main building of the academy, but it would be interesting to get to.

"I am trying to change this world, you just have yet to comprehend how." Zeref said, pausing for a moment before gazing at the girl. "Tell me, just what do you know of the Black Wizard, Zeref?" he asked.

Sonora looked a bit startled by the question, her hand moving to grab the arm and cover the golden bracelet on her wrist. "Me? I..I don't know…well, I'm not much of a scholar." she said at last, her voice a bit nervous as she gave him a weak smile. "Zeref was a bad wizard, that much I know, but beyond that….I guess I'm kind of ignorant." she decided, playing it off with ease.

"Then I suppose you are unaware of where you are standing as well." Zeref commented, watching Sonora glance around once more.

She kept one hand grasping the other arm that hung loosely by her side, observing her surroundings for a few moments as they stopped in their path. Behind Zeref was the remains of the housing area of the academy, the place he planned on entering alone in case it collapsed like the others buildings had begun to do. "I…no, you didn't…this place is the ruins! We have to get out of here, before they come for us!" she stated, her eyes growing wide with fear as she grabbed Zeref's arm, trying to run.

Zeref grabbed her arm in return, standing his ground and refusing to let her leave. "I would not have brought you here if I thought you were in danger." Zeref stated calmly, despite her struggles to escape and leave. Her breathing was coming quicker, but her attempts to leave were growing weaker and weaker with every second. It did not take much effort to keep her here, nor had it been a challenge to avoid the dark wizards guarding this place. They were scarce and scattered, and with Zeref's ability to detect their magical energy, it had been simple to enter the ruins at a point away from those guards. "These ruins, I needed to see them for myself. I believe there may be something precious hidden within, though Skylight Cross may have gotten to it before we arrived."

Sonora stared at him with wide eyes, no longer resisting as he pulled his arm free. "If we're here….why didn't we run into them? That guild, they have been making this place…they use it as their guild hall." she stated, staring at him with questioning eyes.

Zeref gave her a small smile, letting her follow him inside. If she was willing to take the risk, he would not stop her from entering this place. "It is simple to avoid foolish wizards who do not understand the simplest concepts of magic. I believe you already understand more than they do about it, and you are no more than a novice." he commented.

Sonora frowned at this, unsure of if his words were a compliment or an insult to her strength. "Okay….well, where are we going then?" she asked. Zeref sighed, realizing that this girl was curious as well as talkative. Perhaps it would have been better if he had remained silent, however he did not wish to hear more of her story. It reminded him too much of his own childhood, of the time he had with his parents before they were killed.

Zeref turned down a hallway in this place, seeing the stone walls covered in dirt and plants from the lack of upkeep in this place. None of the tables or chairs that had been set up remained, and as they passed by an open arch, Zeref could tell that the library was falling apart as well. It had been thoroughly raided, papers scattered in a few spots but clear of any books that were deemed useful. That place was not his goal, however. "The room of an ancient wizard, one who few can truly claim to understand." Zeref stated calmly in response to Sonora's question, seeing a few doors broken from their hinges. Those dark wizards had not wasted any time in this place, stealing any magical artifact they could get their hands on.

"Are you…are you talking about Zeref?" Sonora asked. Zeref did not reply this time, not wishing to lie even if he was disguising his true identity. Still, she took it as a confirmation as she stared at him carefully, frowning in thought. "How do you know so much about him? I mean, he's been dead for a long time. Zeref was only here…centuries ago, right?" she asked.

Zeref stopped at a door that remained untouched by wizards. A magic circle was drawn on the wooden surface of the door, an intricate black pattern scattering across the wood that few would be able to interpret. It seemed as if even after leaving this place, his own protections still remained intact, capable of fending off foolish intruders such as these dark wizards. "Zeref is not dead, however your statement does remain true. The last time he was in this place was over four hundred years ago." he told Sonora.

The girl stared at him with a frown, her eyebrows furrowed on her face as she grew even more confused by his knowledge. "I don't…you shouldn't know…it just doesn't make sense." she commented, studying Zeref closely. "Even if you studied every history book out there on Zeref, you couldn't possibly know this much. Where his room was in this place, what school he studied at….these aren't the things history would remember about a man like him." she commented.

This girl was far wiser than she first appeared, Zeref noted. Perhaps she did deserve some measure of respect, for her bravery and this small amount of intelligence she possessed. "I suppose so. History prefers to remember me as the villain, focusing on the destruction I've caused while ignoring that which I did to try and aid humanity. In the end, it was always my destiny to be rejected by this world, which is why it is not surprising that you cannot determine the true purpose of that artifact you found and claimed for yourself." he replied, watching Sonora stare at him, her eyes widening in shock.

"You aren't….you can't be…" she gasped, taking a step back as Zeref let his disguise drop, revealing his true form to this girl.

He gave her a small smile, though it was not a pleasant expression. The darkness in his eyes, and the emptiness of the gesture left it looking crueler than he intended, though it mattered little to him. "I am, and you would do well to follow my advice. I may have allowed you to learn of my identity, but my plans remain unfinished. If you reveal this fact to anyone else, I will kill you, Sonora. That spell of yours will not protect you from death, even with the magic placed within it." Zeref told her.

Zeref did not wait for her reply, instead turning towards the door and placing his palm against the circle within. It pulsed beneath his palm, the black light illuminating in the room slightly as it reacted to his own magic. The runes on the circle seemed to scatter, flying away from the circle as the protection spell fell apart, unlocking the door and allowing him to enter. "What spell? Ult—, er, Zeref, what kind of spell did you create?" she asked after a few moments, still following him inside.

His head tilted to the side, watching her with a frown. People did not often stay near him after learning the truth, and that made her interesting. Maybe she could join his army, if she truly wished to enhance her magic. Invel would be a far better instructor for her than he was, and she would excel at all forms of ice magic in the Alvarez Empire. "A healing spell. It was what I was originally studying here, when I first came to learn magic. The enchantment in that bracelet is meant to enhance your own natural healing abilities, allowing the body to heal at an inhumanly fast rate." he explained.

Inside of his room, Zeref felt a hint of nostalgia rise within him. Even worn down, Zeref could recognize the place that had once been his bed. Broken wood posts were all that remained of the structure, eaten away by the dampness that had grown in this place along with the bugs and mold that infiltrated the building over the centuries. His dresser appeared to be much the same, though small amounts of broken pottery remained on the ground. He had left not long after his first outburst of magic here, and staring at that pot only reminded him of the day he first gained his curse. That plant had been his first victim, a single flower he had in a vase to decorate his room.

With a small frown, he stepped around the vase, crouching down on the stone floor in the center of the room. "I…did you really create something like that?" Sonora asked, playing with the golden bracelet at her wrist.

Zeref gave her a single nod, focusing on pulling up a loose stone from the floor. He had done his best even centuries ago to keep his work hidden, but it often failed when persistent wizards came in search of it. Most of his notes on the eclipse gate had been taken after he was cursed, when he actually had a need for the spell, but the basic concepts should still remain here. "That was a long time ago, and I am no longer the same person I was back then." Zeref stated calmly, reaching into the opening and feeling around for some form of paper within. He felt a small smile grow on his face as he felt the leather binding underneath his palm, with cracks on the surface and worn from time, but still present.

Carefully, Zeref lifted the book out from the hole, opening it to observe just what he had found. The formulas and runes were written across various pages, familiar writing staring back into his face as he skimmed over what he had. The book had been written in sections, each one analyzing the types of magic required to properly activate the Eclipse Gate. It started with the most obvious branch of magic, time manipulation. It described just how intricate such spells were, and how it was unsafe to truly reverse time with spells currently known in that branch of magic. Further on, the book would move into celestial magic, a branch that could draw power from another world and bring it into this one. By opening gateways, it became possible to combine these two techniques, so long as there was an entrance and an exit available.

That had been the theory at the time, anyway, which he developed so much more after leaving this place. "Well, I still think it's pretty cool that you made something like this. Healing magic is a Lost Magic, right?" she asked. Zeref nodded carefully, closing the book and rising to his feet, holding it close to his chest. "That means in your head is the knowledge to bring back an ancient form of magic that this world could really use right now. With all of these people getting hurt, battling against dark wizards, we need someone who can focus on healing others instead."

Zeref glanced over at her, scowling at the idea. "Do not mistake this spell as a sign that I am kind or a decent person. I despise humanity, and in the end, the world would be better off if most of mankind perished. I have no intention of reminding the magical community about healing magic, and it would not be wise for you to try and force me to value life again. In the end, it would only lead to more pain and suffering, and I am done waiting for someone to end such things for me."

Sonora stared at him for a few moments, looking surprised before she sighed, shaking her head at him. "Well, I guess I can't force you." she said at last. "Either way, I guess I should thank you, for the bracelet. You haven't once asked to take it back….and you even told me to let Lee have it. At least you can help protect one human, and that's a start towards changing into a nicer person." she commented.

"I do not wish to save you, nor do I wish to save Lee." Zeref stated calmly, stopping in his path towards the exit to glare at the girl. "I simply have no use for a foolish tool like that spell. My body heals on its own, without healing spells. The only thing I require is my research, which I have located already. If you wish to take this from me, then I shall truly be angry, and when I am angry, people tend to die."

Sonora's smile faded, her gaze looking sad as she focused on Zeref. "I…is it really….is it really that important?" she asked after a few moments, looking worried over asking the question.

Zeref glanced back at her, his expression calm and neutral. "Just as you lost your family, I too have lost everything I once cared for. This is my only chance of redemption, the only way I have to find peace anymore. I will not lose it, no matter who I have to destroy to hold onto this piece of my past. If this world rejects me for what I've done, then I shall reject it in kind, and show everyone just how powerful of a villain I can be."

Sonora looked alarmed and opened her mouth to speak, however she did not get the chance to say a thing. Zeref sensed their approach a moment too late, having been far too absorbed in a small conversation to notice them. Three wizards from the dark guild were patrolling the area, and now they stood in front of Zeref and Sonora, looking angry and ready for a fight.

 **IMPORTANT: I've just put an announcement on my profile page explaining my reasons behind what I am considering at the moment, but I wanted to add a note in to all of my stories for those who aren't keeping track of updates to my profile. I am considering quitting fanfiction at the moment. Nothing is set in stone, and maybe eventually, I'll come back, but as it stands, I no longer have much inspiration to keep writing on this site. As stated before, if you want my reasoning, it is in the announcement on my profile page. More details about what this means can be found there as well. Feel free to message or review with any concerns about it, I'll be happy to talk about it and take your comments into consideration.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer:** I am not the owner of Fairy Tail

Sonora had moved behind Zeref, looking afraid at the wizards approaching. A man stood in front of the other two, crossing his arms over his chest with a smirk on his face. "So, you two thought you could come here and take what is ours, huh? Sorry, we're not going to let that slide." he commented. His hair was black, but it was cut quite a bit shorter than Zeref's. His skin was tanned, and he had sharp blue eyes as he gazed over at Zeref and Sonora.

Behind him was a much shorter girl, standing with one hand resting on her waist and the other hanging loosely by her side. She had long, wavy blue hair and stood with just as much overconfidence as the leader of this small trio. "Just take his advice. If you hand over that book you took, we might let you live." she insisted.

Finishing off their trio was another man, about average height with bright red hair. He was grinning wildly, dressed in the same black robes as the others. All of them had these robes draped over their bodies, a single silver cross embroidered onto the fabric on the left sides of their chests. "Listen to Loraine, kiddies. We've got magic on our side, none of you village kids have what it takes to beat a wizard."

Zeref stared at them calmly, ignoring Sonora who was breathing heavily behind him, quickly becoming panicked in the face of this threat. "So, you are saying that if I keep this book, you will end my life?" he said quietly, watching the wizards blink in surprise.

The black haired man frowned, but shrugged anyway. "Well, isn't it obvious? We're the Moon Circle Trio of Skylight Cross, no one can stand in our way." he insisted.

Zeref closed his eyes, sensing their magic energy carefully before sighing, shaking his head. "It seems as if you overestimate your power. I had hoped you would be capable of such a feat, but it seems I was correct that my only path towards peace now is the one I've chosen recently." Zeref stated, opening his eyes.

"Loraine, show this punk what it means to be a wizard. I don't like his attitude." the leader insisted with a scowl, clearly disliking Zeref's comment.

The girl stepped forward, raising her hand with something glinting in the light. She was a celestial wizard, and it was interesting to see one of the golden gate keys in the hands of someone that was not a Heartfilia. "Open, Gate of the heavenly scales, Libra!" she shouted, a golden magical circle forming before the spirit appeared.

Zeref gazed up at it with a sigh, shaking his head. "This is a pointless endeavor. I do hate pointless battles, but I will not allow anyone to ruin my plans." he insisted, his expression slowly turning into a glare. Sonora looked alarmed at his words, standing up a bit straighter even though her legs were still shaking.

Zeref felt Libra's magic activate, his body growing heavier and forced towards the ground. It was to be expected, but that was combined with the charging of the red haired wizard. "I hope you're ready to burn, because I've got a special surprise for you!" he insisted. Orange flames leapt from his hand, shooting forward towards Zeref.

After shoving Sonora back, the Black Wizard only stared at the flames, not bothering to dodge as they swarmed around his body, burning away his clothes and eating away at his skin. The wizard was laughing wildly, sounding so confident that he had won as his magic slowly vanished, leaving them staring at Zeref. His skin was slowly healing already, the burns fading from his body even though his clothing would not return. The only thing that remained was the silver locket at the base of his throat, but the three in front of him were now staring in shock at the wizard they were fighting.

"Wh-what are you? This is impossible!" the leader stated, taking a step back. He grabbed the arms of the other two, but Zeref let lose a blast of dark magic, in the form of an orb of darkness that collided with all three of them. The wizards were sent flying backward onto the ground, looking dazed by the attack.

Libra was still out, staring over at Zeref. "If you wish to avoid harm, I suggest returning to your realm, spirit. I have no need to fight you, if you stay out of my way." he told her. The spirit glanced over at the wizards, moving a step closer to the one she was contracted with to protect her. "Ah, I forgot. You cannot leave, for that would mean killing off your wizard. I suppose I will have to banish you myself."

"Stop! We don't have to…I mean, you beat them….didn't you?" Sonora said from behind him. Zeref paused, glancing back at her just before he moved to take a step forward. "There are other ways….you don't have to kill them. I mean, they can't really…they won't fight, not like this." she insisted, gesturing to the groaning, terrified wizards that still were on the ground in front of them.

Zeref was angry with them, and he wanted to badly to destroy them. Sonora may have been correct, but these people wished to steal away his legacy, and taint his magic further with their darkness. "Why should I? They are dark wizards, you claimed they killed your family, so why do they deserve to live?" Zeref asked her, watching Sonora blink at him in surprise. She had moved to grab his arm to hold him back, and her eyes were trying to plead with him for reason.

"I…their guild did, yes." she said at last, looking sad as she turned towards them. "I…I don't think I'll ever forget that, but they're still….they're still people! If all life ends in death, you must understand how precious it is! You told me that yourself….that it was unavoidable….so why take life away before it is necessary? Let people live as much of their lives as they can….because these wizards will ultimately die one day." she argued, biting her lip nervously. "I'm not….I'm not saying this right. There's value in life, but it's hard to put that value into words. I…they may not be good people, but they can change. No one is perfect….but all we can do is try our best, and find happiness in our own way."

Zeref glanced over at them, debating what to do himself. His anger was fading, slowly now that he was not locked in battle with these wizards. It was clear that even a weak spell like his first attack had been enough to end their desire to battle. From what he had felt, the leader had been about to activate a teleportation spell to leave this place. They wished to run, rather than fight, so he could theoretically keep his research without continuing this battle. "I suppose it would just be a waste of time then, killing these people. Libra, release me, for my battle with your wizard is over." he ordered, staring at the spirit.

The woman hesitated, before slowly nodding in agreement to his request. She vanished back into the spirit realm, but Zeref paused as he walked by their bodies. "What are you doing? You said we'd leave!" Sonora insisted, but Zeref ignored her, kneeling down next to the woman.

"A wizard such as you is not deserving of any of the Zodiac Keys. They belong in the hands of the Heartfilia family, as they have been for generations." Zeref commented, searching her body for her keys. Ultimately, he found them in the pocket of her shorts, which were hidden underneath the cloak she wore. Two other golden keys glimmered before him, and with a smile, Zeref took them. He had not expected a dark wizard to be in possession of the mysterious thirteenth golden gate key, but he would ensure that it did not remain in her hands.

"Uh…Zeref?" Sonora said a bit nervously behind him. He turned towards her, raising an eyebrow as she waited. "I think…maybe you should, uh, borrow one of their robes." she commented. The wizards were unconscious, but he had not considered doing so. Those flames had burned away his usual attire, and while he disliked wearing the crest of a dark guild, he had little else to use for when he arrived back in town.

Zeref sighed, pulling off the robes of the girl before letting his transformation magic settle over himself once more. "Remember, Sonora, my identity is not meant to be spoken to anyone. You are aware of what I do to people who anger me, correct?" he warned. The girl nodded, but unlike before, she only smiled this time.

"Yes, but you won't do that to me." she insisted. Zeref frowned, unsure of what made her so confident. She had been a useful pawn thus far, giving him the chance to sneak away to this place to find his research, but she no longer held a purpose for him. "Even if you won't admit it to yourself, I can see that you still care about people. I think deep down, you still want to be the healer you first tried to be."

Zeref watched her touch her bracelet once more, the enchanted chain that kept her body healthy whenever she was wounded in battle. "If that were true, you would be dead. Everything I care about perishes by my own hand, so if I were you, I would not wish to be my friend." Zeref told her calmly.

Sonora looked a bit alarmed by his words, but he moved back into silence as they walked back to town. She continued trying to ask him questions, unsure of what he meant, but Zeref did not feel inclined to explain his curse to her. By the time they returned, she had also fallen into silence, walking closely by his side as Zeref made his way to the inn Jellal was staying at with him.

He did not even have to try heading towards his room to find his companion. Lee and Jellal were in the lobby of the inn, talking under their breath to each other with determined expressions on their faces. Maps were scattered on a desk between them, all of them slightly different from each other, but representing the area around the village. "Is there another danger nearby for us to deal with?" Zeref asked as he approached, trying to determine what they were looking for.

Jellal blinked up at him with wide eyes, and Lee lept to his feet, rushing over to Sonora to give her a hug. "Sonora, you've returned! I thought…your lesson was going on far too long, you see, I was just trying to…Jellal was helping me—" he was saying, trying to explain what was going on.

Zeref held his hand out, smiling as he nodded towards the man. "I see, I suppose there is little else for us to do here then." he commented, watching as Jellal frowned in response. "I do not believe Skylight Cross will remain in this area for much longer, they were not too pleased after my battle with them."

Lee released Sonora, staring at Zeref in shock from his words. His gaze finally seemed to realize what Zeref was wearing in his disguise, seeing the guild crest of the dark guild on the black cloak he was currently wearing. "You…they attacked you? My dear Sonora, you've progressed so well if you made it out uninjured like this! Oh, how happy I am that you are becoming such an amazing wizard." Lee insisted, patting the girl's back proudly.

"Even so, that was not our mission here, Ultear." Jellal stated, standing up to join them away from the table. "We have yet to determine just what this artifact is that Zeref once created, nor is Lee willing to let us see it before the auction. Our best chance is to be present tomorrow, and attempt to purchase it like everyone else." Jellal insisted.

Zeref shook his head, glancing over at Sonora with an amused glint in his eyes. "You have already seen the charm, you simply did not realize what it was." he insisted. "It is a healing charm, something highly unlikely to be associated with Zeref if you look at how history portrays the Black Wizard, but it is quite impressive considering it is a Lost Magic."

Sonora pressed her wrist to her chest protectively, trying to hide the bracelet from them. "Really? I am intrigued, however, you are correct that this is not something we need to look into any further. Lee, I must thank you for your hospitality, and for your agreement to keep our location a secret from the authorities." Jellal stated, turning towards the man with a slight bow.

Lee smiled, waving goodbye as Jellal turned to leave. Zeref moved to follow after him, but Sonora grabbed his arm again, catching his attention once more. "I know….I know what you told me, and I'm not going to say anything." she began quietly, glancing over at Jellal who had stopped by the door. "I just wanted to say that he is your comrade right now, fighting by your side. Things might work out better if he knew."

Zeref gazed over at Jellal, frowning before he sighed, turning back towards Sonora. "No, they would not. His hatred for the black wizard lies deep within his past, and even though I've never once met him before, it is not something he will let go of with ease." he insisted. "I may not be able to help you learn the magic you wished to learn, but my lesson with you from yesterday remains true. Growing your natural magical energy through meditation will allow you to perform more powerful spells. Simply practice on your own to determine what form your magic should take, that is the only advice I can give you."

Sonora nodded, giving him a small smile as he pulled away and moved to leave. He had to move quickly, because he could feel a slight amount of pressure building in his head, something that had not happened since he left Tenrou Island. This place was not good for him, not with the plan he had in mind. He could not remember the value of life, not when he needed to be around crowds of people to find the Eclipse Gate, and gain Fairy Heart for himself.

Lee moved closer towards them, stopping at the door as he gazed up at Jellal. "I know it isn't much, but if you are seeking out relics from the past, you might want to try Crocus. Next week, they are starting a new magical competition between the magical guilds of the country, a way for them to test their strength against each other. You will likely find all sorts of magical items there during the competitions, from all kinds of people wishing to make a quick profit off of all the new wizards in town."

Jellal pulled his hood over his head, nodding towards the man with a small smile. Zeref did not reply, turning away and moving out of the room silently as Jellal finished dealing with Lee. He had to hurry, with the way the pressure was building within him. Without a single word to those behind him, he teleported himself back to the ruins he had been in earlier, giving him a safe place for his magic to be unleashed. As the black cloud emerged from his body, Zeref hunched over on the ground, mildly amused at the fact that this place would suffer from his curse more than any other in history. No one would understand just how much was lost that day, when he destroyed the greatest minds of magic all in one great blow, leaving only himself as the sole survivor.

 **Alright, I've got a slightly early update for you all! You can thank Aessire for keeping me inspired with all of the reviews =D. I know it may not seem quite believable that Jellal just trusts Zeref's judgment on the artifact, but keep in mind, he knows Ultear has plenty of reasons to hate Zeref too. With that, plus the fact that he wants to find more dangerous spells relating to the black wizard, he is just fine with going along with it for now. Now, we're going to be moving on to the start of the GMG before the time skip! Feel free to review and tell me what you think!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer:** I am not the owner of Fairy Tail

Zeref returned once his magic was back under control. It hadn't taken much to remind himself of his hatred, not with that place being filled with so many wizards from a dark guild. All he had to do was reveal his presence to them, and in turn, they showed him just how dark humanity truly was. Perhaps one girl still was brighter than most, but overall, humans were worthless and not worth saving. That was a lesson he did not plan on forgetting, the lesson that good people were rare and that their sacrifices would be necessary to save this world from the darkness of others.

Jellal seemed to be looking for him, glancing around the street just outside of the inn with a frown on his face. When he finally spotted Zeref, he rushed forward with a glare on his face. "Ultear, where have you been? We were meant to be leaving for Crocus, yet you saw it fit to fool around in this town here." Jellal stated, while Zeref shrugged, glancing around carefully. He could sense wizards in town now, something strange considering how this place had lacked massively in magical energy. Even Sonora's energy had felt weak, so it was a surprise to feel something different here.

"I had other things to take care of. This town did have something worth our time to gather after all, and I did not plan on letting it fall into the wrong hands." Zeref stated. The book he had taken was safely hidden away in a brown sack he was carrying. Jellal had insisted on using it for their belongings, and this time, Zeref wasn't going to argue against a tool that would hide his deception.

Jellal narrowed his gaze at Zeref, looking like he was not quite buying this story. "Whatever you've done, I better not be hearing about it later. You may be more trouble than you're worth." he stated, running a hand through his hair. Zeref didn't reply, instead he turned his gaze behind him, towards the other end of the dirt street. The wizards were over there, and they were coming closer.

Zeref was about to move to put some space between him and those wizards when their voices reached them. "Ultear, there's nothing here. The rumor of Zeref's magic here was just that, there is no artifact for us to gather." a female voice was saying, rather calm as she spoke.

Zeref froze, unsure of what to make of this. Acnologia had attacked the island, which meant that wizard must have perished. If she was here, then that meant there was a possibility of other survivors. Jellal, however, seemed to have other ideas. "Did she just say—" he began, turning back to see two girls walking along the street.

One of them had pink hair, dressed in a bright red dress with a yellow ribbon tied across the front of it. She must have been the first speaker, the voice Zeref did not recognize. Next to her was the real Ultear, with long black hair pushed back by a white headband. "I know, I had just hoped….I thought I could make up for my mistakes, by searching for…." she began, trailing off as her gaze landed on Zeref, standing disguised as Ultear next to Jellal.

The pink haired wizard saw Zeref as well, her gaze hardening as she stepped in front of her companion, standing ready to fight. "Who are you, and why do you wear the face of my friend? I will not let anyone harm Ultear, nor should you be allowed to pose as her in this town." she insisted.

"Two Ultears? Which one is real…" Jellal murmered, gazing back and forth between the two. After a few moments, his eyes narrowed at Zeref, focusing on him as he stood next to Meredy. "I see, that is why you refused to use magic. You were unsure of what types of spells Ultear used, and thus could not mimc it properly." he commented. "Tell me, who are you, and what do you have to gain with this deception?"

Zeref stared at the trio before him, closing his eyes for a moment with a sigh. "Who I am matters little, in the end. From what I knew of the events on Tenrou Island, I assumed Ultear had perished and took on her identity for my own use. What I have to gain is my own business, however, I am fighting for a brighter future. My path has been far darker than any of you can comprehend, and it is my desire to alter my destiny. If you truly believe redemption is possible for everyone, you will cease asking me questions, and continue your travels with me regardless of who I am." Zeref told Jellal.

Meredy still stood tense, but no one moved to battle yet. "Jellal, I am surprised to see that you would travel with someone you even thought was me. What is it you two were up to in this town?" Ultear asked, frowning. She was actually quite calm for someone being impersonated, thought Zeref did not quite understand why.

"From what I just heard, we were doing the same as you. I also seek redemption for my past, and was looking into Zeref's magic when I heard about the artifact in this town." Jellal explained. "Ult—my companion discovered that it was a simple healing charm, nothing related to Zeref in any form."

"That still doesn't explain why the hell she is using my face to befriend you. You won't tell us who you are, yet you claim to know about Zeref's magic…I'd say that's enough reason to be suspicious of you already." Ultear scowled at Zeref, who avoided her gaze. His eyes closed for a moment, and a light breeze blew through his hair.

After a moment, he sighed and returned Ultear's stare. "I cannot reveal my reasons…however, there is more than enough darkness in my past that I should at least attempt to atone for." Zeref didn't exactly intend on doing so, but it seemed rather fitting. "We all have regrets we'd rather not wish to share…I never questioned Jellal's reason for wishing to research Zeref, nor will I question yours…in return, I ask that you do the same for me." Speaking his own name felt odd, though he supposed it wasn't the first time he had to do such a thing. Keeping up the ruse of being dead meant he could not name himself, so encounters with anyone who so much as mentioned the black wizard ended up rather uncomfortable for him in the past.

Ultear frowned, but she did not argue against his words. After a moment, she sighed and rested a hand on her hip, flipping some of her hair over her shoulder. "I suppose I cannot deny that. From what I can see, you seem harmless enough. If we team up together, I think we can learn more than we can alone." Ultear insisted. Zeref nodded towards her, glad that he could at least get one person on his side for this.

"If Ultear's fine with it, so am I." Meredy added, stepping down to stand by her companion's side.

Jellal glanced over at Ultear, raising an eyebrow at her. "Did you truly just suggest working together yourself? I was thinking I'd have to go through the effort of convincing you to join my independent guild a second time." he commented, looking mildly amused. Ultear smiled at him, laughing off his comment before moving closer to Zeref. From under her cloak, she pulled out a small dagger, raising it up to his face.

"There's no need for that, Jellal, however, I am tired of looking at someone with my face all the time. If you are going to keep up that foolish disguise, I'm at least going to make it possible to tell us apart." Ultear insisted, grabbing Zeref's hair and dragging the blade through it. Almost all of his hair was cut off in an instant, leaving him with hair that barely reached his chin, much lighter and more familiar to the black wizard. "Now, all that's left is for you to tell us something to call you. This time, it can't be my name." she insisted.

Glancing over at them, Zeref wondered just what he could use. If he chose something wrong, he could very well be identified. As he thought of his past, of the names he had heard, one stood out to him, one that he knew would not be common in this era, that no one would truly recognize because this girl had not truly been alive when he first met her. "Zera, I suppose." he commented. Mavis would be pleased for the girl's name to live on, and it was close enough to his own name that he would respond to it. Ultear was a stretch and hard to adjust to, but luckily, no one had called out to him from a distance so it had not been a problem.

Jellal gazed at Zeref with a frown, sighing as he nodded. "As much as I hate your deception, I will respect your wishes and not pry about your past. You are correct about one thing; all of us have things we'd rather forget in our lives, so long as you are seeking to change, I will not turn you away, Zera." he stated.

Zeref nodded, still calm as he turned to move on. They had to get to the capital after all, if he wished to investigate just where this power was coming from. "Still, I would like to know what you found so interesting in this town, since you were not who you claimed to be." Jellal added, following after him.

"You found something related to Zeref? That is quite surprising, I can't even sense something remotely similar to his magic here." Ultear commented.

Zeref nodded in agreement, glancing off towards the west. It was dark out now, the moon shining in the sky as clouds slowly began to roll in, covering the stars from sight. "If you were to travel to the west, beyond the farmland and homes, you would find a place where you would sense magic like his. There are ruins not far from here, the remains of an ancient academy for wizards that suffered a great tragedy due to Zeref's magic."

Jellal frowned at this, studying Zeref closely. "How do you know so much about Zeref? I know of him due to my old ambitions, and Ultear and Meredy were once a part of a guild that searched for him. What about you?" he asked, confusion on his expression.

Zeref stayed quiet for some time, thinking on the question as he walked away from the inn, moving back towards the farmlands so they could reach the distant train station. "I suppose I do not have an answer for you. My knowledge of Zeref is linked to my past, and that is something I will not reveal to you."

Jellal nodded, looking thoughtful as they continued on. "I understand that. To be honest, I once revered Zeref as a god. When I was a part of Grimore Heart, I actually met him…he wasn't at all like I thought he would be." Ultear commented. "I actually beat him in a battle, rendering him unconscious, but ultimately, he escaped our grasp. I don't know if he truly is a threat or not, but he cannot be allowed to create more of his demons in this world. His dark magic still lingers, and it only leaves behind death and destruction."

Zeref remembered that quite well, and it was part of why he was struggling now. This girl was the reason he had forgotten, the person who began that war for him on the island. Still, in a way, he did owe her his thanks. If it wasn't for their actions, he would still be inactive, moping around and waiting as the world died around him. Now, he was acting, working to stop his curse regardless of who had to pay the price. "Wait, you met Zeref? Don't tell me….he was on the island?" Jellal asked by his side, walking into the train station.

Zeref silently began to approach the front counter, ignoring the small amount of people here at this time of night. Getting tickets for the train was his first priority, a simple task that he could perform while his companions debated what had happened in the past. "Yes, he was." Meredy replied, glancing over at Ultear. "That is why our guild attacked; we wanted to awaken Zeref and unleash his full power on the world, to eliminate all who did not possess magic."

Ultear nodded in agreement, while Zeref slowly began to frown, wishing he did not have to hear this. "Yes, it was a dream. In the world we imagined, magic would become all-powerful, and our specialties would be finalized in this new era. I…I had planned on going back….to change my past once it was perfected."

Zeref nodded to the woman at the counter, paying for the tickets and moving to wait for the train with the others. "Many wish to turn back the clock and alter their past. It seems to be a part of human nature, the desire to alter one's own destiny, regardless of how futile their efforts become." Zeref commented, watching the others turn towards him with a frown.

"Does this mean you wish to alter your past as well?" Ultear asked, looking confused. Jellal was sitting next to him, with Ultear and Meredy in seats across from them. The station itself was practically empty, though it did have a large waiting area.

Jellal turned towards him as well, his expression calm even as he frowned at Zeref's words. "We have all become stronger because of our pasts, Zera. Changing something so drastically could have dire effects on the future for everyone." he insisted.

Ultear nodded in agreement, wrapping her arm around her chest to grab her shoulder. Her gaze turned towards her lap, while Meredy leaned closer to Ultear, reaching over to cover the time wizard's free hand with her own. "Perhaps it would, however, I do not think it would be more dire than our current future is." Zeref stated, glancing over to see alarm in the eyes of his comrades. "Still, such thinking is pointless at the moment. No one has developed a viable method for altering one's past, and without that, it is only pointless speculation as to what we could accomplish."

Zeref did plan on changing that fact soon, though there was no need for these wizards to know that. Rumbling echoed in the room, signaling the arrival of the train. Zeref got up first, moving to board while the others watched him for a moment, sharing a look of concern before following after. "Hey, Zera?" Meredy stated when she sat down in the train, taking the seat across from him. "Running away from your past won't change anything. It will only bring you more pain in the end. Try focusing on the future, on who you want to become instead." she suggested.

Zeref turned away, looking out of the window on the train as they departed. They had been the only passengers boarding from this stop, so it had been fairly easy to load them on board before leaving. His gaze was sad, his eyes dark as he frowned and leaned his head against the glass panel of the window. "I have no future, my life will only bring about pain and despair for those around me. Imagining this would drive me into further despair, and ultimately, drive me to take far more drastic measures than before."

Those words left the others silent, unsure of how to respond. The only noise was the rumbling of the wheels against the tracks below, and Zeref grew comfortable with the silence in this place. Instead of speaking again, he reached into his bag to pull out his old research notes. This trip might as well be worth his time, spent studying what he once knew to try and develop at least a theory on how to accomplish his goals.

Jellal gasped as the book was pulled out, staring at Zeref with wide eyes. "That book…there is magic lingering about it." he commented.

Zeref nodded, not even bothering to look at Jellal in response. "Of course, I found it within the ruins of the magic academy." he stated calmly, turning the page of the book as he tried to focus on reading.

"The energy around it, it's almost like…Zeref's magic." Ultear stated quietly, while Zeref sighed, closing it to look at her with annoyance in his expression.

"The magic runes embedded on the cover of this tomb imply protection, not destruction. If this truly was the work of Zeref, it was done to keep this book from being destroyed." he explained, turning it so she could see. The cover was a plain leather binding, no title visible, but magic circles were etched into the corners, all of them valuable protection spells that let this book survive over the ages.

"Well, what is it about?" Meredy asked, focusing on Zeref who sighed, leaning back in his seat with the book on his lap.

"Perhaps I would discover such knowledge if I was allowed to read it." he replied, watching the girl blink a few times, looking embarrassed as she turned away in response. "From what I gathered during my initial glance at the book, it focuses on two branches of magic." he stated, deciding that this much would be harmless. "It investigates time magic and celestial magic."

"Are you a celestial wizard then? I mean, you have gate keys in your bag. I saw them when you went to pull out that book of yours." Meredy asked, pointing over to the bag next to the black wizard.

He glanced over at the pink haired girl, pulling the bag closer to his side with a frown. "My magic remains my own business, and I feel no need to utilize it at the moment. I hold no contracts with the spirits of the celestial world, thus, I cannot be considered a celestial wizard."

"Perhaps we would feel more comfortable around you if you at least told us something. Secrets can be a harsh burden to bare, Zera, and among guild members, it only puts distance between comrades that ultimately drives us apart." Jellal commented, gazing over at Zeref.

Zeref frowned, unsure of what to tell them. There was little that would calm them down, since anything about his past or magic would reveal just who he was. Then again, there was something else he could use to his advantage. "I…you have a valid point." Zeref stated at last. "If you must know, I suppose I can tell you some of my past. My parents perished when I was a child, and I did not cope well with the event." he began, aware that few people knew this part of his backstory.

"I've lost my mother as well." Ultear commented, gazing out the window. "Sometimes, I still hear her voice though, and it gets stronger when I'm in the water." she added softly.

Zeref nodded, not interested in her story at the moment. "I threw myself into learning magic after that event, studying various kinds of magic and trying to understand the fundamental concepts of how magic worked in our world. I was a prodigy, at least, that was what everyone thought at the time." he commented.

"Did you truly learn to understand so much? Most wizards are only capable of specializing in one aspect of magic." Jellal asked him, frowning as he turned towards his companion.

"These days, that is true. In the past, legendary wizards were known for being masters of multiple elements, their styles changing to match their opponent in battle." Zeref stated. This had been a result of needing to fight against dragons, beasts who could tear apart normal humans without wasting any effort. Wizards perished battling against those beasts, so in order to survive, they had to master teleportation magic or enchantments to grow their speed and allow them to escape. That wasn't enough on its own either. Wizards needed to understand the concepts of healing magic so their wounds would not last long, as well as combative magic in some form for self-defense. Overall, most wizards knew at least four styles of magic to some degree back then, but now, the lack of war led to wizards focusing solely on one specialty for their magic.

"Do you enjoy learning about history that much? You seem to understand quite a bit of it." Meredy asked.

Zeref frowned, gazing out the window thoughtfully. He was growing relaxed around these people, understanding more about who they were and knowing that they would not be capable of grasping just who they were speaking to. "Not necessarily. I am a scholar in many ways, yet history is rather tedious to look at. Wars are endless, fought for pointless reasons and only resulting in loss for the world. Peace is found for brief moments of time, before battles resume and the endless cycle continues."

Jellal gave him a small smile, looking mildly amused at his comment. "You have an interesting view on this world, Zera." he commented, his smile slowly fading. "The more I think about it, the more truth I find in your statement. It is hard to remember a time when I was not fighting for something."

Zeref nodded, glancing over to see Ultear and Meredy staring at each other for a moment, frowning as they thought about his words. He seemed to have put them into moment of silence, where they were all thinking about their past actions and how they've been a part of that endless cycle of battle and peace. With a slight smile, Zeref let them think, opening his book once more to read as the train drove on towards Crocus.

 **Alright, I guess I'm sort of back from break! The main alteration at the moment is that I am no longer keeping a set update schedule, since I feel as if a lot of my stress came from trying to finish chapters on time. I hope you enjoyed this chapter, feel free to review and tell me what you think!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer:** I am not the owner of Fairy Tail

The capital city of Fiore was quite large, filled with stone streets and modernized buildings unlike the last town Zeref and Jellal had been in. With their early arrival, they had to find an inn to stay at until the Grand Magic Games began, but it wasn't too troublesome for them to do so. "This is getting dangerous. My face is too well known, it is a risk staying at a public place such as this one." Jellal had commented when they purchased their rooms.

That had begun a debate between him and Ultear, with Jellal wanting safety while Ultear desired the comfort of a bed. Zeref had stayed out of it, having no preference about where he slept. There was a peaceful feeling when sleeping out in the open air, staring up at the stars, but there was also comfort and safety in the idea of sleeping inside on a bed, where nothing living could be reached by his curse.

Zeref frowned at that thought, shaking his head and quickly ignoring it. This was the issue he was having, traveling with others who spoke to him so easily and without fear. It made him feel as if he could have friends one day, and return to a normal life. However, if he continued that line of thought, he would see just how wrong he was. He would value life again at that point, and only kill the people he wished to befriend. Even if that did not occur, it would mean his friends were little more than pawns to him, and that simply did not meet the definition of what a true friendship was.

It was late at night and tomorrow as going to be the start of the competition. He had heard rumors that something was going on with the competing wizards tonight, but he was not in the mood to sit around waiting with Jellal and Ultear, trying to sense the smallest hint of magic in the air. Instead, he was wandering the streets, observing the people passing by with smiles on their faces, excited to watch the upcoming battles between guilds. Even though it was night, people were still wandering around in the streets, laughing and talking about what would happen tomorrow. Zeref had dropped his transformation spell after leaving, confident that his companions would not be leaving the inn yet. Ultear and Meredy were the only two wizards who would know his face, so it was safe to walk around as himself, conserving his magic rather than wasting his energy.

His locket was another issue with his disguise, due to those two. He had taken it off and placed it in his bag when they first arrived at this city, but it felt strange being apart from it. He had worn it for nearly a century, not wanting to be parted from the memory of his brief time with Mavis contained within. Ultear may remember seeing it, though, so it was necessary to hide his identity from his companions.

Zeref stopped in his walking, turning to watch a child in the street. She was alone as she silently observed inside the window of a magic shop. Her eyes were wide and longing as she stared inside, her short white hair a bit ruffled by the wind as she pressed her palms against the glass. Glancing around, Zeref decided that he could speak to the child who was alone. Perhaps she would know more about tomorrow's events, since she did seem to have some magical power within her.

"Are you one of the wizard's competing tomorrow?" Zeref asked her quietly, approaching her in the street. She jumped at his voice, looking startled before giving him a small smile. She did seem a bit young to be competing in something like this, likely about ten or a little older from what he could tell.

The girl shook her head at him, glancing back towards the shop. "No, I….I'm not an official wizard." she said softly, longingly gazing into the store. "I want to be…I mean, I've gotten some of my magic to work, but it just…." she began, her voice trembling somewhat.

Zeref knelt down in front of her, giving her a small smile. "I see, you simply do not have the knowledge you need to continue on." he commented. "What do you know about this competition then? Is there anything different in the area as a result? You see, I am searching for something, a powerful magic that even you would sense if it were nearby." he told the girl.

She blinked at him, glancing away and rubbing her hand at the back of his head. "Not really, and I doubt I'd be able to find it. I mean, I'm just a weak celestial wizard, I don't even have any of the golden keys." she told him. "Right, you probably don't know…the golden keys are—" she began, but Zeref held out his hand, cutting her off.

"I am well aware of celestial magic and how it works. It is surprising to meet yet another wizard that focuses on that magic, it is quite rare to see these days." he commented, watching the girl smile.

"I know, but I love it! I get to make all kinds of new friends, and that is all I ever needed, especially once Sorano…" she trailed off, looking sad before focusing back on Zeref. "Well, it's not all that important. My name is Yukino, what's yours?" she asked.

Zeref frowned, unsure of what to tell her. He opened his mouth to give her some response, but that was when he felt the change in the air. Some form of magic had just been activated, and it was stronger than anything he had felt thus far. Zeref knew this magic, though, recognized the feel of it. "No…someone's trying to activate it…." he murmured, glancing up into the sky. Yukino frowned at him, glancing around for what he was searching for.

Seeing her confusion, Zeref focused on her with a frown. "Close your eyes and empty your mind. Focus on calming yourself, and sensing outward. This is how you sense the magical energy around you. Even without proper training, you should be capable of sensing this power." he told her.

The girl nodded, glancing around the street before gasping in surprise. "It's…there's so much! Where is it coming from?" she asked.

Zeref closed his eyes, trying to figure out just that. "It…it isn't controlled, nor is it contained. They have not established a connection to a gate in the past….if it opens, there is no telling what will occur." he stated, frowning as he studied the air around him. "There is too much to sense a particular direction, yet it is still far to weak to become active."

Before Yukino could say anything in response, a voice echoed around them in the city. "Greetings! This now marks the beginning of the first annual Grand Magic Games. All challengers are currently positioned in their hotels, and now, we start off our games with a race. Bonus points will be given to the first three teams to reach the arena, all others will have to catch up in future competitions. Everyone, have fun and let the games begin!" a cheerful voice declared, echoing around them.

Zeref frowned, gazing around the city as wizards began to rush out of various inns, prepared to hurry and reach their destination. "The games…they are gathering magical energy." Zeref commented, frowning into the darkness as battle broke out between two of the competing guilds. It would only deter them both, but it was inevitable that they would fight to be victorious. With all the magic being used in the city, it would hardly be noticed by most if someone started absorbing that power, using it to fuel the gate.

"What are you talking about?" Yukino asked, frowning up at him as Zeref rose to his feet.

He glanced over at her, sighing as he debated what to do. "An ancient spell, one that is being foolishly activated by those who do not understand it." he commented. Glancing over at her, he realized what had to be done. "You claimed to be a celestial wizard, correct?" he asked her, watching the girl nod, looking confused. "Do you live in this city?"

Yukino looked a bit surprised, guarded as she crossed her arms over her chest. "Why do you want to know? I mean, you could be trying to stalk me or something." she insisted.

Zeref glared at her, impatient and displeased with her lack of a response. "This is very important, Yukino. Tell me if you live in this city, or I shall let you suffer the consequences." he threatened.

Her eyes widened, her arms wrapping around herself defensively as she put a little bit more space between herself and Zeref. "I..I don't. Wh—why are you so mean now? Your eyes, they—" she began, but Zeref was ignoring her, reaching into his cloak to find the keys he had brought with him. He did not trust the others to leave his belongings alone, so he had brought them and his notes on the Eclipse Gate with him tonight.

Yukino's words stopped at the sight of the keys in his hands, her arms dropping to her side as longing filled her gaze. "Then I suggest you take these and never return. Do not let anyone separate you from these keys, or there will be dire consequences." he told her, holding them out to her.

She reached out for a moment, before hesitating, glancing over at Zeref's expression. "Are…are you sure? I mean, I can't really promise anything in return…and I'm not all that strong." she commented, but Zeref glanced out at the street, sensing the magical power once more. It was still present, though not quite as easy to sense as it had been when it was first activated. They were planning on doing this slowly, it seemed, and that meant that this city had to be monitored. His spell was here, and he was going to take it back no matter how hard he had to fight for it.

"There may come a day when I require your magic, Yukino. If I ever come to you and request your aid, I want you to promise that you will do so, and not ask questions about what is being done." he stated, glancing over at the young wizard. He did not know if he could separate the use of celestial magic from the Eclipse Gate, and he wanted to be sure he had someone on his side that would activate it for him once more.

Yukino stared into his eyes for a moment, debating her actions. After another minute, she nodded, grabbing the golden keys from his grip and clutching them into her own fist. "I will. I promise, I'll never forget this. Oh, you never told me your name!" she stated, as if just remembering this fact.

Zeref gave her a small smile, rising to his feet as he moved to leave her alone. "Names are pointless, Yukino. In the end, who I am would remain unchanged, regardless of what I am called." he told her.

The child frowned at him, looking confused as he moved to leave her alone, trusting the young girl to heed his warning and take those gate keys elsewhere. He wandered through the streets, watching with mild amusement as wizards dashed around, hurrying to reach the arena first. Few of them understood just how simple their task could have been, but it was likely that the creators of this contest had created magical barriers against teleportation magic. Then again, based on the cheering he could hear coming from the center of the city, he could be wrong. Someone had already achieved victory, so he supposed alterations would be made in the future to make this competition more challenging.

Zeref began to move towards the arena, curious to know if the presence he felt would be stronger in that direction. As he did so, three more figures ran past him, rushing to get to the arena as quickly as possible. "Excuse us." a male voice stated, pushing him aside as he hurried along. Zeref froze at the sound of it, glancing over to see just who was passing by him. His gaze met the dark eyes of Ultear, who turned to stare at him in shock, stopping in her tracks while Jellal and Meredy moved on, not noticing who was in the streets.

"No…you can't be…" Ultear whispered, but Zeref only stared at her for a moment before sighing, deciding he would risk teleportation magic even with the games going on.

"Ul, what's going—" Meredy began, stopping as she noticed Zeref as well. The black wizard was already using his magic though, vanishing from sight before either of them could stop him.

Unfortunately, there had been a minor misdirection spell in place for the contest. Instead of returning to the inn like he had planned, Zeref found himself only a yard down the street, staring at Jellal and his friends from a distance rather than up close. Jellal was closer to him now, with Ultear and Meredy stopped far behind him, but that did not stop the blue haired wizard from recognizing the man he had passed before. "It is a shame, I suppose. I had hoped to end the night peacefully, but humans always find a way to ruin things like this." he commented, seeing Jellal frown in response.

"I don't know what you are doing, but I truly must get by. You have no idea what kind of danger we are all in right now." Jellal insisted.

Zeref stared at him, seeing the girls now catching up behind him. "There is no danger currently, though in a few years that danger may become greater." Zeref told him, glancing over at the other wizards. "I suggest you continue monitoring this disturbance, I promise you, this will not be the last time it occurs in this city."

Ultear froze at his words, watching as he moved to walk past them calmly. "What are you planning? What did you do…don't tell me someone has finally—" she began, but Zeref chuckled darkly under his breath, shaking his head at her.

"You are foolish, just like the rest of your guild was. I never once slept to begin with, thus there was no need for your futile mission to awaken my power. The only thing you accomplished was making me forget something very important, and for that, I am still angry." he stated, a dark smile on his face as he turned towards her. If she wished to fight, he would destroy her completely.

Meredy grabbed Ultear's arm, pulling her back. "Don't do this, something's different about him than before." she warned, glancing over at Zeref. "We need a better plan before attacking. Perhaps Zera would know what to do, she seems to understand much about history and how he once lived his life." she whispered.

Ultear hesitated, glancing at Zeref one last time before nodding, turning to leave. Jellal turned towards her, whispering under his breath to ask her more questions, but Zeref moved on quickly. He had gotten lucky tonight, avoiding their detection, but he still had work to do. After all, he had just given his own group of pawns a great amount of inspiration to stay in the area. There was no way Zeref would be forced to leave the Eclipse Gate in the hands of others. Soon enough, he would have it once more, and when combined his own knowledge, he would change his destiny.

 **Break is now starting! I'm celebrating my freedom from classes with a day of writing/updating my stories that have been much neglected recently. I hope you all enjoy, feel free to review and tell me what you think!**


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer:** I am not the owner of Fairy Tail

Zeref waited for their return at the inn, resting in bed while back in disguise. It had been a mistake to let it drop for the night, but he supposed no harm had been done. Even if he had been spotted, it was quite obvious that the magical energy in the city was from one of his own spells. Adding his own presence would only motivate their group to investigate it further, thus it was not harmful to his plans.

The room they were in was rather small, barely large enough for the four of them to stay in. Jellal had insisted on sharing a single room, so they could conserve their funds while they traveled. Meredy and Ultear had been traveling on their own for quite some time and were fine with the arrangement, however, Zeref had refused outright. Jellal had not listened, purchasing only the one room with two beds and a small wardrobe for holding personal items while staying with them. That was why Zeref had gone back to the front desk on the first day they had arrived, using his own funds to purchase his own room, separate from those of others. Sometimes, there were some uses to being the emperor of a wealthy kingdom, and that included having the funds necessary to purchase his own lodging when needed.

Tonight, he was in their shared room, waiting to speak with his companions about the magic he had sensed tonight. He did not know what they would make of it, but it would not affect anything if he did not join them in observing the various challenges posed by the competition in town.

Zeref pulled out his notes on the eclipse gate to read while he waited, sitting in silence for what seemed like hours before the door opened once more. "Where could she have gone? We searched the entire city, and haven't seen any signs of her." Ultear was complaining on the other side, her back turned towards the room. The open door had blocked their view of Zeref in the bed, so none of them quite noticed where he was yet.

"I suppose I could try a sensory link. It would not locate her, but it would at least inform us if she is alive." Meredy commented. "We could use it to immobilize her as well, ensuring a far more efficient search that does not risk losing sight of her." she added.

"Zera is our friend, we will not harm her. It is likely she did not notice the disturbance, otherwise she would have gone towards the games as well." Jellal added, sighing as he shut the door behind him, following after the girls. Zeref quietly closed his book, staring over at them with raised eyebrows.

"The disturbance was not threatening, and there was nothing I could do to stop it. Why would I search for its source?" Zeref asked, watching the others turn towards him with surprise in their eyes.

Ultear sighed, running a hand through her long hair as she shook her head. "Honestly, we've spent all night looking for you! It's such a hassle having you wander around like this, you really shouldn't go too far away from our group, Zera." she complained.

Meredy nodded in agreement, sitting on the second bed next to Zeref's. "Yeah, it's dangerous. Zeref is here, in Crocus, and from what we can gather, he is activating some type of spell in the city while the games are used as a distraction for the public." she explained.

"Perhaps you are mistaken. There is no sign of a spell on the verge of activation, from what I can sense." Zeref commented, narrowing his gaze over at the others. "It is a growing power, but it isn't on the verge of being cast."

Jellal frowned, standing at the foot of both beds as he thought about this. His hood was pulled down, his hand resting on his chin as he considered Zeref's words. "If that is the case, then these games may be more than they appear. Ultear, how often were these games supposed to occur?" he asked, turning towards the time mage for an answer.

Ultear nodded, frowning as well with concern on her face. "Annually. It seems as if someone is planning for something far in the future, if that's the case." she commented.

Meredy nodded, glancing over at her mentor. "Powerful as well. Gathering the magical energy of this many wizards is bound to give them enough energy to cast virtually any spell."

Zeref glanced out the window, shaking his head. "No, it won't, but it is a start." he corrected. "The amount of wizards is not meant to create a larger pool of energy, it is simply acting as a diversion, like Ultear stated before." he added.

Jellal frowned at this, his hand dropping to his side as he glanced over at the disguised black wizard. Zeref was lucky these people did not recognize his robes from when he was out on the street, though they had changed since his time in Rugratha. He had been unable to find anything quite like he used to wear, but he had purchased black pants and a black tank top, with a white jacket to wear over the outfit. "How so? Zeref is still draining their energy, that means they are necessary for his plan, not to distract anyone." Jellal questioned.

Zeref frowned, disliking being called responsible for this when it was someone else's doing. "The spell caster is draining away magic from each of them, and I imagine they have a set quota they would like to reach before the end of the competition." Zeref began, turning towards Jellal. "The more wizards competing, the less likely it is one of them will notice the drain on their energy. By gathering it from so many, they are capable of hiding their presence from those who are not actively seeking out a spell like this one."

"If this is meant to hide them, why the sudden explosion of power earlier? Even a child could have sensed that." Ultear stated, shrugging some of her hair over her shoulders as she leaned back on the bed, her arms resting behind her with Meredy sitting next to her.

"They needed to start the initial casting of the spell." Jellal stated calmly, while Zeref nodded in agreement. "With that in place, they can theoretically keep it going for as long as they need to, until the final spell is cast. We must stay in Crocus for a while longer, and Zera, be on guard. Ultear was not joking earlier, we all saw Zeref today. Do not let him fool you, he is dangerous and if we don't stop him, there won't be a single person left alive in this city."

Zeref nodded, though he wondered what he had done to convince them of such a fact. His words hadn't been that harsh before, but they seemed to view it differently. "Very well, I shall keep that in mind. I suppose I should inform you that I don't think this will be a brief visit, if you intend to monitor the magic you are sensing now. This is no ordinary spell, and it will likely take years for it to reach its conclusion."

The others stared at him as he left the room, looking confused at what his words meant. No one understood magic like he did, yet few believed in what he said. It was rather ironic, considering how many wizards revered and feared him for his power. His disguise was useful in many ways, but it also led to situations like this, where his warnings were left unheeded and his words ignored.

* * *

Zeref's words proved to be quite true over the years, leaving their independent guild traveling in between the yearly magical games. Most of their actions remained hidden from the world, small activities that involved investigating areas that believed they had seen demons or other spells created by Zeref. The black wizard waited patiently with them, keeping his identity hidden while monitoring the growth of power within the Eclipse Gate in Crocus.

During their time in the capital, the others had run into some familiar friends of theirs. Zeref had stayed out of it, letting Jellal and Ultear catch up with the wizards from other guilds while he attempted once more to determine the location of the Eclipse Gate. While he had failed, it did not mean he was going to give up. He always found time to search for it each year, and he was nearing the point of breaking into the home of Fiore's king since it did not seem to be hidden within the main city thus far. There were few places he had yet to search, after seven years of watching the same games over and over.

Zeref had heard the rumors along with the rest of the independent guild he seemed to be a part of. The island that had vanished in Acnologia's attack had mysteriously reappeared three months ago, something that Zeref had thought repeatedly about since he heard about it. Jellal continually mentioned going to Magnolia after hearing of this, mentioning welcoming back the members of Fairy Tail. Most of those conversations left Zeref feeling uncomfortable, hearing Ultear and Meredy tease him about just wanting to see a wizard named Erza.

Zeref was impatient about this little trip of his, wishing he didn't have to come along for this meeting. The Grand Magic Games were starting again soon, and he had to be there to see what was happening with the gate. It was nearing full power, which meant the caster would search for the golden gate keys next if they understood even the basics of how the Eclipse Gate worked. Zeref's own plan for the gate had advanced as well with his research, finally coming across a challenging plan that just might accomplish his goal of reliving his past, rather than simply attempting to speak to his past self. The next goal he had could be investigated while on this little trip here, searching for the time rift that had to have been created long ago when he first created and used the Eclipse Gate.

Zeref stood with his guild members in the forest, surrounded by trees as they awaited the arrival of the Fairy Tail members Jellal had sent for. "So, how are you going to explain your little jailbreak, Jellal?" Meredy asked, giving him a slight smile as they waited.

He glanced away, looking at the grass by their feet uncomfortably. "I didn't do anyone any good in prison, simply waiting for my death to arrive. By escaping, I could at least attempt to help this world, and atone for my sins. No one was harmed in the process, though I suppose I didn't necessarily plan on escaping when I was first captured." he commented.

Zeref wasn't too interested in the details, knowing that the wizard had big plans for how to alter this world. It was amusing, considering none of this would come to pass if Zeref's plan became a reality. "In the end, you will die regardless of your actions. I suppose it only makes sense for you to attempt to utilize your life for some purpose." Zeref commented.

The others rolled their eyes at him, quite used to his strange comments about life and death at this point. Seven years with them had yet to alter his perspective on the beliefs he had grown over the centuries. While he may have been more comfortable with them nearby, he still saw them as little more than pawns helping him determine the specific location of the Eclipse Gate. "You never change, Zera. I really thought you'd start to open up to us sooner or later, but you're just as secretive as ever." Ultear commented with a slight smile.

Zeref shrugged in response, turning towards the trees in front of them. "Perhaps, though it does seem you are slacking in your job today. The wizards are approaching." he commented, pointing towards the broken bridge separating them from the town. They had learned that no one could sense magical energy quite as well as Zeref could, even if they did not know the specifics of his magic. Despite his secretiveness, they had grown to trust his knowledge, and they did not question his motives for researching Zeref's magic. People like them were so innocent in a way, even if they themselves had been dark wizards. Zeref thought it was too easy to fool them, yet they did not stop and fight back even once during his time with them.

Ultear's arc of time magic repaired the bridge quite easily, allowing the wizards to come closer to them in the forest. Zeref stood behind his group, wearing the same cloaks as the others for uniformity as Fairy Tail approached. As he sensed out towards their magic, though, Zeref could not help letting his eyes widen in surprise. One of the presences approaching, it felt far too familiar. The strength and power within it, it was a match for the boy that had perished from his own magic. Nothing could survive his death magic, yet their was no mistaking this magical power. "Wait, something's wrong here!" a boy called out, making Zeref frown. "I recognize this scent…" he continued, before the sound of rustling grass caught Zeref's attention.

He did not understand just how the boy could smell the scents of others, but he did know what it would mean for him. He moved ahead of the others, pushing Jellal aside to face the pink haired fire wizard with a smile, pulling down his hood. "Hello, Natsu." he stated calmly, barely recalling the name he had been called before by his comrades.

The boy glanced at him, scowling as he studied the wizard before him. "You…you're not the guy from the island!" Natsu declared, making Zeref wonder just how ignorant he could be. "Wait…you look like…you're the one from Galuna Island, the guy who was dressed as a girl on Tenrou Isalnd!" he insisted.

"I am actually a woman, you idiot!" Ultear cried from beside him, pulling down her hood with a scowl. "This is a new friend of ours, her name is Zera." she told him, watching as Natsu continued to frown at them.

The other wizards were beginning to catch up with Natsu, but Zeref was focused on determining what story he could give the boy to write off his own familiar scent. "Zera, huh? Sorry, I'm not buying it. If Ultear's here, then you must be—" he began, but Zeref glared at him, swiftly moving to grab him and cover Natsu's mouth with his hand. In response, the fire mage seemed to breath fire against his palm, but Zeref didn't so much as flinch away at the sensation of his skin burning away from his hand.

"I see, you are a dragon slayer." Zeref commented, watching the boy's eyes narrow at him in response. He seemed to be on the verge of starting a fight here, which would not be a good plan. "I apologize for startling you, I did not realize what kind of an effect our recent actions would have had on my personal scent. I didn't even know such a thing would be noticeable to a wizard like you." he added.

With that, Zeref released the boy, watching as he stepped back with a glare, crossing his arms over his chest. "Zera, I don't think our recent adventures would have affected something like that." Jellal commented, pulling his own hood down.

Behind Natsu, his friends seemed to have finally arrived, standing tense when they saw the four wizards standing across from the fire wizard. "I suppose I should allow Jellal to explain our guild first, then perhaps my explanation will make more sense." Zeref stated, glancing towards the other wizard.

"Jellal?" Erza stated with surprise, her res wide at the sight of the wizard before them. Zeref glanced over at her, though the only wizard he had any interest in out of this group was Natsu. Not only was the boy capable of growing to a point where his magic might truly destroy the black wizard, he also seemed capable of surviving death magic. "Did she just say you were a part of a guild?"

"Indeed, we all formed a guild together after Jellal broke out of prison." Ultear stated, standing next to Meredy as Jelal frowned, looking uncomfortable with Erza here.

Glancing around at the others, Zeref noticed another somewhat familiar face, though this one was one he had not actually met before. The brown eyes and blond hair of the girl behind Natsu and Erza, she had to be a Heartfilia. She looked so much like Anna, there was no denying her heritage. "It is not a legitimate guild, though it also cannot be considered a dark guild. We are an independent guild, Crime Sorciére. Our guild is here to drive away all of the evil brought into this world by dark guilds and Zeref, so that never again will dark mages like us be born." Jellal explained.

Natsu frowned, glancing over at Zeref again even as his friends looked awed by Jellal's words. It seemed as if the dragon slayer was not yet convinced of his story, though he had something in mind to explain it. "This is where my explanation comes in." Zeref stated, watching Jellal frown at him. "I am capable of utilizing transformation magic, unlike my companions. Even they are unaware of this gift of mine, though it should have been obvious with how often I disappear throughout the night." he commented, glancing towards them.

They stared at him with wide eyes, unsure of what to make of this. "You see, we've been investigating a magical force coming from the Grand Magic Games. Considering most of our members are wanted for grave crimes, I am the only one capable of getting close enough to the event to truly examine what is occurring without finding trouble. Jellal tried once, and it did not end well." Zeref commented. It had been the second year of the games when this happened. They quickly learned that guards were posted at the event, willing to fight back against any threat. After that, they had kept their distance, not wanting to lose one of their founding members.

"Wait, why are you telling us this?" the Heartfilia asked, looking confused.

"He says it explains why he smells like Zeref." Natsu claimed, glaring at the wizard in front of him.

Meredy glanced at Zeref with a smile, shaking her head and laughing at his words. "Zera is nothing like Zeref! Trust me, we saw the black wizard in Crocus during the first Grand Magic Games, not long after Tenrou Island disappeared. Zera was with us, investigating the magic force we felt even then." she insisted, even though he had not been in sight at the time.

"I believe that my time in the capital, so close to a spell Zeref created, has altered my scent. With your forced distance, it did not affect any of you three, but my own scent has been masked as a result of being surrounded by the magical energy of such a powerful wizard." Zeref attempted.

Natsu frowned for a few more moments, stepping closer to Zeref as he sniffed the air around him for a moment. "Alright, I guess if Jellal says you're Zera, I'll believe them. After all, it looks like you guys are on our side now, right?" he clarified.

Jellal looked nervous, glancing around at his companions who seemed just as uncomfortable with Natsu's assumption. "I suppose that is accurate enough, though we did come for your help." Jellal stated at last. "We have yet to identify the source of this magical energy in Crocus. All we know is that Zeref is somehow behind it, and we have a limited amount of time to determine where it is coming from."

"This sounds pretty dangerous. Are you sure we want to trust these guys?" Gray asked, turning towards his companions. Natsu nodded, grinning over at Zeref and surprising him when the fire wizard slung an arm around his shoulders.

"Sure thing! After all, Zera here is pretty interesting. She's got some crazy heat resistance going on, makes me wonder just how tough she'd be in a fight." he insisted.

Zeref glanced away, unsure of how his companions would react to this. "Wait, flame resistance? Where did this come from?" Meredy asked, frowning over at Zeref.

"It was never important to discuss. I've told you before, my studies have brought me into contact with many forms of magic. I simply never told you which magics I can truly use." he replied, still not truly answering her question.

Glancing over at Ultear, Zeref wondered just what this spell would do to the dragon slayer. His magic wasn't that much different than it had been seven years ago, but after her alterations, he might be strong enough to actually harm him in some form. "Regardless of Zera's magic, we did have something else to offer in return for your help." Ultear commented, trying to refocus their group again.

"We would have helped you regardless of your reward. This danger is far too great for us to simply sit back and do nothing." Erza insisted, ignoring her comrades' requests for money.

Zeref only smiled, a rare look on him as he continued studying Natsu. "Well, at the very least, we still intend on giving you your compensation up front. With my new and improved Arc of Time, I can raise the level of your magic ability." Ultear insisted, holding her arm out dramatically.

Zeref could see confusion on the expressions of the others, making him sigh and wonder just how wizards learned magic these days. "In essence, her Arc of Time magic can alter the containers within your bodies that store magical energy. By doing so, she can unleash what is known as your second origin, allowing you access to an immense amount of excess magical energy." he explained, watching Ultear glance over at him.

"I'm still impressed that you determined how to do such a thing, without ever using magic like hers." Jellal commented. "It appears reading that book all the time did some good for you, though I do not know if it will help us again."

Ultear had a dark look on her face though as the others cheered, quickly silencing the excited Fairy Tail wizards. "You're going to have to endure pain greater than your wildest imagination." she insisted.

Many of the wizards still seemed grateful anyway, though Zeref knew what they'd look like after this process. Speeding up the flow of time on a single part of your body was immensely painful, forcing the rest of your body to try and find balance once more to correct the sudden alterations. The pain was a sign of the body going into overdrive, trying to correct what it saw as a severe injury or illness before finally accepting it as part of its form.

Zeref waited outside of the small shack they had prepared for this process. Already he could feel the increase in the dragon slayer's magic energy, but for some reason, there was still more potential for him to grow. That power perplexed Zeref, something he could not recall feeling in many years. "You seem to be focused on something." Erza said from next to him, returning after speaking with Jellal for quite some time.

Zeref nodded, gazing up towards the sky with a frown. "The power of a dragon slayer is quite interesting. I had studied their magic once, though I did not see this much potential in it at the time." he commented.

Erza nodded with a smile, leaning back against the shack where groans could be heard echoing within. The spell had been completed on a majority of Team Natsu, while Erza remained waiting for the process herself. "Natsu really is something, though he does have much to learn." she replied.

"We all do. None of us can claim knowledge of everything, regardless of how much we study." Zeref stated. "He is not surprising in that sense. The true surprise comes from the depth of his potential. In the end, I suppose my desire mimics his own. When he finally grows into that strength, I would be interested to see if he is capable of destroying me."

Erza blinked over at Zeref with surprise, before giving him a harsh glare, slapping him harshly. "First Jellal and now you. I am tired of hearing people wanting to foolishly throw their lives away!" she insisted angrily, glaring over at him.

Zeref gave her a sad smile, closing his eyes as he shook his head. "Perhaps it is a foolish hope, but in the end, it is the best future I can imagine at the moment. You cannot possibly imagine the depths of the despair and suffering I've seen, nor do I feel inclined to explain it to you."

Erza still continued glaring at him, not accepting this answer. "I will not make any claim to know you, but I do know Jellal. He sees something in you, Zera, something good that is worth saving. I will not allow you to put him through the suffering of losing someone dear to him, so please, think before throwing your life away so carelessly." she insisted.

Zeref frowned, unsure of what to say next when she was called in for her own chance to unlock her second origin. Her point had been an interesting one, but she could not comprehend why he wished for such things. Death would bring him peace in the end, preventing him from seeing any more death around him. The world would no longer reject him, because he would no longer exist to be rejected. Nothing sounded quite as pleasing to Zeref as that concept, the idea of not being rejected and finding even a small measure of peace.

 **Sorry I haven't updated in a while. A lot of my focus has been on writing Karma of Contradictions, so a few of my other stories have been neglected. Either way, I hope you enjoyed! Feel free to review and tell me what you think!**


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer:** I am not the owner of Fairy Tail

Zeref was gathering with Jellal and Ultear on the outskirts of Crocus, preparing for the plan for today. "I'm sorry if this makes you uncomfortable, Zera, but Ultear does not trust me to keep myself hidden while in disguise for the guild." Jellal commented, gazing over at the black wizard.

He had no issue with the change to his appearance for the day, it was more comfortable than wearing Ultear's face anyway. At the moment, he was dressed in a strange outfit, with a long cape over his back and wooden staves hung over his shoulder. The majority of his face was covered by a mask, though underneath, Zeref knew he would look identical to Jellal. The idea was for him to pose as Mystogan in the competition this year, allowing him to get closer to the games and determine just where the power source was coming from. It was irritating, losing his chance to investigate for the location of the Eclipse Gate, but at least he would sense the magic up close and personal this year.

"This will be just fine. It is best that I get going, after all, I will need to understand who it is I am working with before the competition truly begins." Zeref told him, watching Jellal nod in agreement. Meredy and Ultear stood behind him, with a lacrima in Ultear's grip.

"We will be communicating with you at all times, Zera." Ultear stated, smiling over at him.

Meredy nodded in agreement, looking a bit mischievous. "Of course, that way I'll know when I need to use a sense link to teach you a lesson and keep you hidden." she insisted.

Zeref knew that such a thing would be unnecessary. If his magic truly did become used in this competition, something as small as a sense link would not stop it. "Of course. There is no need to worry, this competition will be nothing for me." he insisted, watching as Jellal continued to frown at the sound of his own voice coming from Zeref.

"Good luck, and even though this is not the point of our mission, I do hope Fairy Tail is successful." Jellal told him, making Zeref nod. Even he had been capable of seeing this before, observing the way he spoke to Erza and her companions. Jellal truly did care for her, something that may become necessary to use against him if he ever learned the truth of who Zeref was.

Zeref left, feeling the weight of the staffs gently rustling against his back as he walked. That just might be the only part of this disguise that had taken time to get used to, since the concept behind magic circles wasn't all that different from the runes he had studied when learning the concepts of magical energy. When he added in his understanding of the world of Edolas, it wasn't too hard for him to mimic the magic he had heard of Mystogan using, something that surprised Ultear, Meredy, and Jellal to see. Few could pick up on an entirely new form of magic so quickly, yet Zeref was one of the few that could appear to master such a thing in a matter of a week.

The streets of Crocus were familiar to the black wizard now, after seven years of searching them for the Eclipse Gate. Finding his way to the designated inn for his team was simple, letting him enter in silently and hide within. He did have to admit, it was far more peaceful masquerading as Mystogan than it was as Ultear. If he got irritated with the noise or too many people, he could simply cast a sleeping spell and no one would question his actions.

In the room, Zeref found his team already gathered and waiting for him. "Took ya long enough. I was getting tired of waiting for you." the iron dragon slayer claimed as his form of greeting. He was sitting on one of the beds, a chunk of partially eaten iron in his hand as he glared over at Zeref.

It was interesting to see that this dragon slayer did not have the same enormous potential he had sensed from Natsu. It appeared that it was a gift that boy alone possessed, not one shared with others that used the same magic. "I apologize for making you wait. I suppose it would be best to discuss our strategy for now, though." Zeref insisted, getting right down to business.

"No, I think introductions are in order first! I'm Mira, and that over there is Gajeel. Sorry about his attitude, he's just not used to making friends all that easily." she explained.

"Juvia is here as well, the water wizard capable of destroying any enemy that stands in her path." a blue haired wizard insisted calmly, standing next to Mira. Zeref found it odd, the way she spoke, but he made no comment on the matter.

Sitting next to Gajeel was the final member of their team, a boy with blond hair and lightning-shaped mark over his right eye. "Gajeel does have a point, Mira. The brat should have come on time if he wanted to be a part of our team. Besides, I think the old man has lost it, thinking we need two teams to win this stupid contest." he commented.

"Laxus, be nice! We're here so that we can help hide Jellal from the public, allowing him to—" Mira began, but Zeref cut her off.

"Actually, we decided Jellal was not the best choice for this role." he commented, making them all glance towards him with confusion on their faces. "I am Zera, another member of his guild. I am quite adept at transformation magic, among other things."

"Really? Wow, I guess you're a lot like me!." Mira said cheerfully. Zeref didn't understand how anyone could be so cheerful. To be honest, he rather preferred the gruff way the other two spoke. It was to the point, and their irritation made sense to him.

"Juvia has a concern. Will we not be at a disadvantage, without more variety from our team members?" she asked, while Zeref shook his head.

"I assure you, I am capable of far more than I seem." he insisted, though he wondered why he was putting so much effort into this. The competition was not going to affect what he was searching for. He could always sneak out now and search for the gate, before the contest even began. He nearly got up to do so when the clock chimed, informing them that midnight had arrived.

On cue with the chime, an announcement began, reminding Zeref of the first year he had been in the city. They were declaring the start of their preliminary round, and this time, it would eliminate the majority of the competing teams. The entire area around them was changing as the announcement was made, describing the challenge of simply reaching the arena. "What the hell are we supposed to do now?" Gajeel demanded, glaring at their new surroundings as the labyrinth finished creating itself.

Zeref glanced at the others, not really wanting to waste any time in this place. "I have a pen and paper, I think we can start making a map." Mira suggested, already beginning while Zeref sighed, wondering how much he could do while playing the role of Mystogan. Not much was known about the wizard, so it wouldn't be too surprising if he understood more about magic than most people thought.

Zeref let them attempt their desire to use a map, but he could already sense the powerful magic within this place. Such simple plans would be foolish, and they learned that quickly when the entire maze seemed to fall apart and reform, changing their orientation as well as the paths around them. "Juvia does not think the map will work anymore." the water wizards stated, irritating Laxus and Gajeel by pointing out the obvious.

Zeref stepped forward, grabbing the shoulders' of Laxus and Gajeel as he did so. "Stay in contact with each other, I shall take care of this." he told them, closing his eyes as he focused on his magic.

"What are you doing?" Laxus asked, frowning as he followed Zeref's instructions, grabbing Mira's hand while Juvia rested her hand on Gajeel's arm.

A magic circle appeared beneath their feet, a necessary aspect of a teleportation spell of this size. "Taking us to the arena. I know this city better than you'd think, this spell will bring us directly to where we want to go." he promised. With a flash of black light, all of the wizards within vanished from sight just as one of the competing guilds charged toward them, eager to fight past the other guild for victory. When they were no longer there, the team moved on to hurry towards the exit.

Now, Zeref stood with his team in front of a man wearing a pumpkin head and a cape. To a child, it may have been amusing, but to Zeref, it was simply irritating. "Congratulations on completing the preliminary event." he stated, while Gajeel and Zeref stared at Zeref with looks of shock.

"Wait, that actually worked?" Gajeel questioned, stepping back now that Zeref had released them.

"Excellent work, Mystogan! You picked up on that teleportation magic really fast." Mira commented, giving him a slight wink as she giggled at their inside joke.

Zeref ignored them, moving past the pumpkin man and into the arena. They had places within where teams could rest between events, underneath the stands build for observers to watch the games in person. Zeref and his team were waiting here, aware that the next stage of the games was simply to be announced as the winners. It wasn't surprising to Zeref to hear that they had gotten second. His team had spent too much time fooling around with maps to get here efficiently.

Now that he was here, Zeref closed his eyes and let himself search out for the familiar magical energy of Eclipse. "Is it here again?" Mira asked him quietly, while Zeref frowned. It had been here every year before, but it was practically impossible to sense now. He focused even harder, his senses reaching outward before he finally felt the hints of the spell. It was no longer drawing in more energy, and even from what little he could sense from here, it was only waiting for the zodiac keys to become active.

"The spell is ready to become active." he stated after a few moments, seeing the others share looks of worry.

"The old man told us to go stop it if we had to, so what's the plan?" Laxus asked, while Zeref shook his head.

He still had yet to locate the gate, and as long as the zodiac keys remained in the hands of other wizards, the gate would not open. "They need something more. While the energy required is present, the spell itself remains incomplete." Zeref told them, leaving them mystified as the teams began to get called out into the arena. Their other team seemed to have made it through, though they did place last in the first round.

Zeref had little interest in the guilds that passed and which ones failed. His focus was on trying to come up with a more definitive plan to locate Eclipse, especially now that he had aid from others. He completely ended up ignoring Erza when his own team was called, not truly thinking about why the woman would think he was Jellal in the first place. Natsu had pulled her back, whispering something in her ear as he frowned over at Zeref, focusing once more on the other announcements so he could judge his future competition.

Zeref sensed around for the magic once more, but this time, he grew distracted by something else. "Mavis…" he whispered, her name barely audible under his breath. Somehow, her presence was here, and not on Tenrou Island. She wandered at times, but he had not sensed her off of the island in decades.

He could almost feel her gaze scrutinizing his every action, knowing exactly who was beneath the mask and magic he was using to hide. Few people could claim to know who he truly was, but Fairy Tail's first master had once been close to him. Ultimately, that had been her downfall, and it was a mistake he would never repeat again. "His heart…I know him. Be on guard around that wizard, for he is not all that he appears." Mavis warned up in the stands, mystifying her guild members as Zeref lifted his gaze towards where she sat. "For Fairy Tail's victory, I will allow him to participate. There is no one here capable of defeating him."

"Is something wrong?" Mira asked him, catching his attention and making Zeref shake off his daze.

"Nothing, I suppose. I just sensed a strange presence in the arena, that's all." he explained quietly.

Laxus raised an eyebrow at him, his arms crossed over his chest. "That's impressive, she told us only wizards with our guild's mark could see her." he stated.

Zeref did not bother explaining that sensing her and seeing her were quite different, since it would be pointless in the end. They had just announced the guild that finished first, this Sabertooth that was supposedly the greatest guild in Fiore at the moment. Glancing over at them, Zeref was rather unimpressed with the magical energy he sensed from them. There were a few powerful ones, but it was nothing compared to his own strength. As he glanced over them, his body froze, his eyes wide at the sight of a familiar wizard.

"No, she can't be here. If she's here, that means…" he began, trailing off with the thought. Yukino, the celestial wizard from before, was with that guild. When combined with Lucy's presence, that confirmed the presence of all twelve zodiac keys. With so much power already gathered, Zeref could not allow those gate keys to fall into the hands of anyone else.

His team members focused on him, unsure of what his comment meant. Yukino noticed his staring, glancing at him with a slight look of confusion, her eyes a bit wider as she returned his gaze. "I need to…I suppose I have little choice. There is something you must know, about the—" Zeref began, only to be interrupted by the announcement of their next challenge.

Glaring at the direction the announcement came from, Zeref decided immediately what to do. "Mystogan, just spit it out already!" Gajeel complained, but he shook his head, a scowl on his face as he turned to volunteer for the challenge. Juvia attempted to do the same, but he shoved her aside, not willing to let her take his place.

"I'll deal with this challenge of theirs first. I dislike being interrupted, and these people are beginning to irritate me." he declared, watching the others look at him in alarm.

Zeref ignored all attempts at conversation, silently listening to the explanation of the challenge. It seemed so simple, hiding within a town while seeking out competitors and striking them with some form of magic. Before long, an entire city appeared around them all of them scattered in different spots between buildings and on streets. Zeref stood still, happy with the magic he had to mimc for this contest. With magic circles, he could deflect any attack, and ultimately, ensure he would never be hit with a spell.

Even with the appearance of doubles of everyone, Zeref still did not see an issue. He could easily locate his opponents by their magical energy, a unique signature that everyone possessed. It was interesting, to feel where everyone was laid out in the city. Some of them were on the move already, searching for someone to attack while Zeref did what he did best, blending in.

The first true opponent to approach Zeref was Lyon, the ice mage from Lamia Scale. Attacks could be quite simple, so with a small smile underneath his mask, Zeref cast a sleeping spell on the wizard. He collapsed on the ground from the spell, the attack subtle just like what he knew Mystogan to be known for. Without glancing back, he moved on to let the spell wear off on its own.

Gray was near him next, an ally of sorts but an enemy within the challenge. "Warn Lucy, someone will be coming for her soon." he whispered as he walked past the ice-mage, making him glance over at Zeref with a smirk.

Zeref felt a blast of cold magic in his side, glaring back at the wizard who cast the spell. "Sorry, but this is a competition. I need all the points I can get, Mystogan."

Zeref scowled in response, letting himself reset and resume hiding within the crowd. As he did so, snow slowly began to fall around him, making him smile underneath his mask. Most people would be revealed with this small trick, forcing their breath to become visible while their bodies shivered in the cold. As he walked among the crowd, Zeref spotted the wizard attacking each opponent without fear, confident in his targets as he grinned around the arena.

Zeref spotted Eve quickly, using the same sleep spell as before to take him out. Behind him, Lyon had just attacked, a sign that ice wizards truly could adapt well to the cold. Zeref dodged the spell that had been meant for Eve, moving to the side and letting the spell hit a copy instead. With Lyon losing another point, Zeref moved on to find another target to earn more points for his team.

Sensing for magical energy once more, Zeref realized something rather odd. There was a wizard above them, standing on top of a building in this city. As he realized this, Zeref quickly acted. The wizard standing on the building above had just cast his own spell, sending it flying towards every competitor in the arena. Zeref pulled his staves out from his back, placing them carefully as he prepared his spell. "Three Layered Magic Circle: Mirror Water!" he shouted, a circle forming above his body as a shield. The spell was sent flying back into the sky, back towards Rufus who stared at it with a mild look of surprise. He jumped out of the way, letting the blast collide with a building instead as he smiled over at Zeref. "I see, that technique is now memorized." he commented, but Zeref did not reply.

In the end, Zeref only barely managed to tie with last place, alongside the other team from his guild. After some debate, the announcer decided that since Mystogan had received fewer hits from other wizards, they would receive the point for seventh place. Zeref could care less about the scores, moving to rejoin his team back up in the stands. They were moving quickly to the next event, already planning a battle between two wizards, but Zeref had a few things to talk about first. He just hoped he could keep himself hidden while he explained his knowledge to them, because if he couldn't, he'd have even more problems to deal with.

 **Sorry for the delay on updates! I've been having computer issues for one, and on top of that, I've really been trying to focus on my longest story ever on this site. Plus...my inspiration has been sporadic lately. I've started about six different stories in the last month, all of which I decided not to post because I lost interest after writing about four chapters or so. So...yeah, kinda having issues thinking of conclusions to stories right now. Luckily, this one has a full plot planned out, so no worries on finding an end for this one (I've also backed up the file, due to the computer issues mentioned before. Hopefully, that'll save me from having to rethink how this story was meant to end).**

 **Feel free to keep my inspiration focused on this story with some feedback! Reviews make me excited to write more!**


	10. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer:** I am not the owner of Fairy Tail

Zeref ignored the crowd's booing for Fairy Tail, and his own team's attempt to cheer him up. He was not upset over the challenge, he had not truly been trying to win. With a timer set, there had been nothing he could do to end it quicker, so he had been forced to participate for the length of the contest. Now, he was moving swiftly back into the waiting area they had gathered in before, wanting to avoid the ears of the spectators for this event.

Glancing behind him, he could see his team following after him, concern on their faces as his eyes flickered towards the arena. Lucy Heartfilia was fighting now, something Zeref should monitor, but he would need help truly locating the gate and that was his first priority. He could handle the aftermath of the gate opening, but he still needed it for his new spell. "Juvia wonders why we are ignoring the battle. It is best for us to understand our enemy before battle." the blue haired wizard commented.

Zeref turned towards her, only his eyes visible with the mask he was forced to wear. "This contest holds no meaning, the true threat lies elsewhere. Tell me, have any of you heard of the Eclipse Gate?" he asked, watching them frown.

"Sounds like something Lucy would want. Come on, Zera doesn't seem to have anything important to say, so let's get back to the contest." Laxus commented, writing off his comment already.

Zeref narrowed his eyes at the lightning wizard, not moving to stop them. "If you do that, you may find the past coming to the present. Eclipse is not something to toy around with, yet someone seems intent on doing just that." he told them.

They paused, frowning as they gazed back at him. "Magic like that isn't real, girlie. I've got better things to do than listen to old myths about time travel." Gajeel stated.

"Perhaps it would convince you if you knew who created it. Zeref is responsible, and it was something he designed nearly four hundred years ago." he told them, watching Mira stop, glancing at her comrades in front of her before turning around and joining Zeref again.

Her gaze was worried, her blue eyes stern as she approached him. It was one of the few times he had not seen a smile on her face. "How would you know about such a thing? Zeref may be an evil wizard, but most people don't have the faintest idea about all the things he's done." she demanded.

Zeref nodded, glancing away from her for a moment. "I found a book that belonged to him once. It was on the first mission I ever went on with Jellal, and in the end, the book detailed the links between two styles of magic that seem completely unrelated. Theoretically, he made it possible to create a gateway to another time, using a combination of time altering magic and celestial magic."

"Celestial magic? That means Lucy is in trouble!" Mira stated worriedly, glancing over towards the arena.

Zeref nodded, seeing Gajeel pause at that as well, trying to act tough but failing to hide his concern. "Juvia will do what she can to help. Even if Lucy is her love rival, Juvia will not allow anyone to harm her friend for such a dark purpose." she insisted.

"Dark? I don't know about that. For all we know, these people might be trying to stop some tragic event in the past from ever occurring." Laxus insisted. "Why is that our problem?" he demanded.

"It is likely that the gate will connect with four hundred years in the past, if my theory is correct." Zeref told them, watching them frown. "In order for it to function, it must have another gate to connect with at some point in time, be it in the future or the past. If the current user is not aware of this, it will connect with the gate that was first opened by Zeref, in a time when dragons were fighting to rule this world."

"Wait, why was the gate opened that long ago? Even if you read a book on how it was created, it should not have given you that much information." Mira questioned, distrust dancing in her eyes.

Zeref focused on her, seeing the others start to turn on him as well. "I have researched countless different eras, and in the end, it is all the same. Magics like this are not created simply to exist, they are created to be used. If Zeref created this gate, it is only logical that he utilized it at some point in time. Considering he was believed to be dead until seven years ago, it is only logical that he utilized it when he was active four hundred years ago." He attempted to explain, hoping that his logic would make sense.

"Juvia understands. The black wizard would not waste his time on fruitless endeavors, thus he created this Eclipse Gate for a purpose. We simply do not know what that purpose was."

The others nodded, glancing over at Zeref. "So, what now? If that gate opens, what is going to come through?" Laxus asked, while Zeref frowned.

"It is impossible to be certain, though it will create mass chaos. Even if it simply brings wizards from the past to the present, they will be wizards used to a time of war. They will fight, and their power will be unlike what anyone of this era is used to." Zeref explained.

Slowly, the others began to nod in agreement. "Alright, so we just have to stop them from getting the celestial component of the spell, right?" Gajeel stated with a smirk, glancing back towards the arena. "I'll handle that, it'll be fun to see how Bunny Girl reacts, gihi." he commented.

Zeref shook his head at the iron dragon slayer. "No, I will deal with the celestial wizards. It is your job to locate the gate, hidden somewhere deep within the city."

"Wizards? You mean there are two of them here? I thought they were rare these days." Laxus commented, but Zeref nodded.

"Yukino of Sabertooth, I've met her before. Between the two of them, all of the necessary components to activate Eclipse have been gathered in this town." Zeref told them.

Their team returned to the stands with that, all of them aware that they had to be prepared for the battle round today. It would be challenging, having to follow the rules of this game while investigating, but now he had others to assist in the matter. As soon as he was freed, Zeref had every intention of paying Lucy a visit. Perhaps it would be best to do that one without his disguise, so no one would truly know who had the final key to Eclipse. After all, the only way to prevent it from opening was to keep the gate keys away from it. He simply had to take one of the keys from that girl, and this plan would all fall apart.

* * *

Zeref was frowning, hearing his own name declared for the first battle against Jura. From what he was overhearing, this man was supposedly a powerful wizard. His magical power did not disagree with that statement, actually managing to get close to the power of one of his own Spriggan Twelve in the Alvarez Empire. It might actually be a challenge for him to win, but he was in a hurry. This battle would be over quickly, even if he had to follow the rules of some other wizard's magic.

Zeref walked down to the arena, standing before a bald man with a simple black beard who was ready to fight. "On a personal level, I'd like Fairy Tail to do its best, but our master's been nagging quite a bit, you see. I'm sorry, but I won't go easy." Jura stated calmly, looking confident in his victory.

Zeref gazed over at him, not quite impressed with the speech. "So, you fight for your master? I suppose it is reason enough, humanity always finds foolish reasons for battle." he commented, locking his gaze on the man before him. "For me, however, I battle for simple reasons. You see, I have become impatient today, and I am quite angry. I will finish this battle swiftly, I promise you that."

Jura attacked first, pillars of rock forming beneath Zeref's feet. He saw them coming, moving to jump around to dodge them, even as some curved to follow his path. Skillfully, he avoided every blow, using his teleportation magic to land on a single pillar once they all moved to a single point, colliding with each other and sending a shower of rocks crumbling towards the ground.

Zeref sent his staves flying towards Jura, surrounding the man in a circle with a smile. "Five layered magic circle, sacred song!" he declared. Five circles of different colors appeared above the man, blasting him with immense magic and sending dust from the arena floor flying into the air.

Zeref stood calmly, waiting for another attack. There was still powerful magic coming from Jura, enough to tell him that the wizard had yet to fall unconscious from battle. Perhaps he could attempt something a bit different with magic circles; it would still appear to be Mystogan's magic after all.

With a slight smile, he watched as a rock fist was sent flying towards him. Zeref teleported away from it, on to the other side of Jura. The rock wizard sent the fist curving around, still attempting to hone in on the black wizard. "Interesting, you do appear to be quite skilled. If this had been another time, I may have wished to ally with you." Zeref commented, watching as Jura smiled, looking confident that his spell would hit.

"Four Layered Magic Circle: Shatter!" he declared, letting his staves fall into a line in front of him. It mattered little how the staves were placed, now that he was using his own magic. The words also meant little, the only thing that mattered was the appearance of four magic circles around the rocks. Unlike before, these circles were black, with a single red circle standing between Zeref and the rock, the others creating a box-like formation around it. A massive blast of black energy came from them all, completely destroying the attack and leaving Jura staring at Zeref with a look of surprise.

"I suppose I must say you are quite impressive as well. It will not be enough for you to achieve victory, though." Jura commented, preparing another spell to attack with.

Zeref teleported out of sight, vanishing to a point behind Jura. "It will be easier than you'd think." he stated, smiling as he placed his staves out in front of him, letting them rest in a horizontal line. "Skyscraper!" he shouted, watching a blast of magic circles start to affect Jura. To others, it appeared as if nothing happened, but to Jura, he was being sent flying into the air. His mouth was open in wide terror, seeing the illusionary demon coming to attack him as he was tied into chains.

With that in place, Zeref focused on drawing on his magic power, finding another spell that would end this quickly. While Jura's mind was under torment, his defenses would be down, and this spell would affect him. Just in case, Zeref added an extra layer of defense, empowering his spell with magic circles he set up as Jura broke free from the illusion, staring in shock at the complex magic surrounding him. "Nine Layered Magic Circle: Eternal Sleep!" Zeref declared, letting the magic unleash on Jura.

The words made it sound far worse than it truly was. It was designed to be an incredibly powerful sleeping spell, combined with runes to ensure that no amount of defense could block it out. Jura did attempt to do so, rocks rising to form a physical shield around him, but this attack focused on the mind, not the body. Barriers such as those would not protect him, and when Zeref came closer, he could sense the magical energy of Jura dormant within his shield of rock.

Perhaps this wizard could have won, if Zeref had fought fairly, but he had other plans in mind. He shattered the barrier with ease, ignoring the cheering of the crowd as he moved to leave. "This is unbelievable! Jura, one of the Ten Saint Wizards, has been defeated! The points go to Fairy Tail Team B!" Zeref was already leaving, though, intent on his path. He would find Lucy Heartfilia, and he would ensure that those gate keys never fell into the hands of those wishing to utilize Eclipse for themselves.

 **Alright, for those of you unaware, I've created a poll to find out which of my incomplete stories is the most popular! Votes will tell me which one I should focus on writing, since many of them are incomplete ideas at the moment. Other than that, I hope you enjoyed the fight between Zeref and Jura! Feel free to review and tell me what you think!**


	11. Chapter 11

**Disclaimer:** I am not the owner of Fairy Tail

Zeref was searching for the girl, but it seemed as if she was no where to be found. She had not been injured during her battle like he had assumed, so the medical ward did not hold Lucy in any form. He was walking through the halls, trying to find her when he overheard a voice from one of the rooms. "A white knight, an enormous magical array…" someone was saying, their voice horrified.

Zeref moved on deciding it was unimportant. Instead, he moved outside of the arena, searching within the town for the magical energy of the celestial wizard. He stopped in an alley as he did so, dropping his illusion and discarding the majority of his disguise. Most of his clothes had been part of the transformation, so all he had to eliminate was the cloak he wore to signify he was a part of Jellal's guild. Without that, he wore a simply black tank top and black pants, though his white coat was no where near for him to wear it.

While he was not easily locating Lucy's magical energy, he could find Natsu's quite easily. Assuming the dragon slayer would know of her location, Zeref moved to approach him. It would be dangerous, but if he simply listened to what was going on, he could very likely determine where she was without having to do much of anything.

Zeref stood outside of some tavern, hearing people shouting and celebrating within. Frowning, he realized this may take more time than he had originally planned. _Jellal, Ultear, Meredy, can you hear me?_ he asked, activating a weak telepathic link between the three of them. It was challenging to disguise his mental voice. If the link was strong, it would become obvious who was truly speaking to them.

 _This is Jellal, I can hear you, Zera. What is your status?_ he asked, while Zeref frowned, standing outside of the tavern.

 _I may need you to cover for me in tomorrow's games. I believe I have found what is needed to complete this spell, but it will require further investigation._ Zeref replied, staying in the shadows as people began to leave. As the door moved to shut, Zeref peeked inside, seeing a slight flash of blond hair that confirmed her location. Lucy was here. Now, he just needed to keep her safe.

Ultear seemed to sigh mentally, but did not argue. _I suppose it could work, so long as he doesn't do anything rash. It seems unlikely that he will have to battle, considering you did so before. That was quite impressive, by the way. I don't think I've seen someone capable of creating such complex magic circles in so little time._ She replied.

Zeref nodded, cutting off the link as he focused on guarding this girl. He needed to wait for her to be alone to take the key, to avoid unnecessary panic and conflict. This meant it was going to be a long night, and ultimately, it turned into a long day as well. He shadowed the celestial mage during the games, unaware that the dragon slayer was prone to breaking into her room and sleeping there. He had known of it the moment the girl shrieked in anger about finding him back in her room, before sighing and simply falling asleep on the couch, leaving Natsu in the bed.

Now, the games for the day had ended. He had seen Jellal frowning as he posed as Mystogan, clearly confused by the lack of magical energy in the city. Still, Zeref knew it was here, and he was not giving up. Lucy was moving back to her room, and Zeref was following behind her and her friends, staying in the alleyways before staring in surprise at who was here. Yukino was waiting for her, looking sad as she stood on the doorsteps of the inn Lucy was staying at.

He followed them into the inn, waiting to move upstairs until they had vanished from sight. He could hear things just as easily from outside of the door, where he now stood to listen. "The key of the paired fish and the key of the heavenly scales….I'd like for you to take the two of these, Lucy." Yukino was saying.

Zeref scowled, knowing this was a bad idea. He had little choice now, if this was what Yukino was doing. He sighed, pressing his hand against the door and slowly pushing it open, gazing inside at the wizards who had gathered, looking stunned at Yukino's declaration. "No, you will do no such thing, Yukino." Zeref declared, walking towards them calmly.

"You…what the hell are you doing here, you bastard?" Natsu demanded, rising to his feet with a glare on his face.

Zeref stared at him calmly, observing his reaction carefully. "Taking back what is mine, of course. Someone has stolen a very important spell of mine, and I want it back." he informed them.

"Wait…this guy, is he really…?" Lucy questioned, sounding nervous from where she sat.

Yukino was staring at Zeref with wide eyes, looking shocked to see him here. "It's you…the wizard from seven years ago…" she stated, rising to her feet and leaving the keys behind. "I…I'm sorry, but I can't do what you asked of me. These keys…these spirits belong with a powerful celestial wizard, like Lucy." she insisted.

"That would be unwise. Yukino, I gave you those keys for a reason, and as I told you before, one day, I would need you to perform a favor for me in return." Zeref insisted. "I do not like people who break their promises, especially if it interferes with my plans."

"Hold on, you two know each other?" Wendy asked, glancing between the two wizards.

Lucy was just as stunned, along with Carla and Happy who were watching from a distance. "Yukino, do you even know who this man is?" she demanded.

The white haired wizard glanced over at Zeref, shaking her head. "No, he never told me his name, but he was kind to me. He gave me these keys, and he told me that this city was dangerous…if it wasn't for him, I never would have had the strength to be a part of a powerful guild like Sabertooth." she explained.

"He's the Black Wizard Zeref." Natsu declared, turning towards Zeref once more. "If you think I'm going to just sit back and let you hurt these people, you're gonna be in for a real surprise. I've still gotta get payback for my scarf!" he insisted.

Zeref frowned, eyeing that very scarf in confusion. It was made of a strange material, the pattern unique and like nothing he had seen before. As he focused further on it, he realized that perhaps he had seen this before. "Dragon scales…I see, that is how you survived." he commented with a small smile. "I suppose I should thank the dragon that gave that to you. In the end, I had not wished for your death, Natsu."

The dragon slayer frowned, looking even more irritated at Zeref's words. "What the hell is that supposed do mean? Are you telling me you know where Igneel is?" he demanded.

"If he knows where Igneel is…does that mean you know where I can find Grandeeney? Please, I…well, I just want to…" Wendy stated, standing up at first before backing down, looking afraid of Zeref.

It was so common, that fear in others when they learned of his name. Even Yukino was looking shocked, fearful for what this meant for her. "I have little interest in the dragons. Where they are is none of my business. My interest lies in the wizard who thinks they can take what is mine, and still live," he stated darkly, seeing Lucy and Wendy back up a step further. Natsu's glare deepened, stepping closer to Zeref threateningly.

"Well, I'm not going to let you get out of here without a fight. You caused Fairy Tail a lot of trouble on Tenrou Island, and I'm not going to just sit back and let that slide," he insisted.

Zeref sighed, shaking his head at the boy. "I did not cause that war. I simply happened to be on the island when others began the battle. My intentions had been to remain peaceful and inactive, but they changed when Acnologia arrived," he insisted.

Natsu hesitated at the mention of that name, glancing over at his comrades with a small amount of fear in his eyes. "Acnologia? Who is that?" Yukino asked, while Zeref smiled, seeing at least one person willing to still talk like a reasonable person.

"I suppose you could call him a dragon, the one responsible for leaving Fairy Tail trapped on Tenrou Island for seven years. To be quite honest, I had thought it was destroyed. Fairy Sphere is a complex spell, and I did not realize Mavis was powerful enough to cast it in her current state." Zeref commented.

"Wait, he knows about our guild's first master?" Wendy asked, confused.

Natsu was a bit surprised as well, his desire to fight seeming to lessen ever so slightly. "I met her, before she became to the way she is now. I am surprised she did not tell you I was here. I believe she is aware that I am in town," Zeref said, turning towards Lucy. "Regardless of that, I only came here for one reason."

They all frowned, unsure of what to say in response as Zeref walked closer to the blond celestial wizard. "I…I don't have any spells of yours…" she stated uncomfortably, leaning away from Zeref as he reached down towards her waist. She flinched at his contact, her arms raising to defend herself as he removed the keyring from her belt, pulling off a single key from the ring.

"No, you do not," he stated in agreement, returning the rest of the keys to the table where Yukino's keys still remained. "However, I didn't come to reclaim that spell." he told her, glancing down at the key of the lion in his palm.

"You…give back Lucy's key!" Natsu declared, charging forward with flames dancing around his fist.

"You are not yet strong enough to face me, Natsu. Perhaps one day, you will have the power to destroy me," Zeref stated calmly, stopping Natsu's fist with his palm, shoving the boy back onto the ground of the hotel room.

Yukino stared at Zeref, her eyes wide as she rose to her feet to block his path to the exit. "You…that favor you said you'd want…are you trying to gather all twelve keys? Is this about the gateway that changes the world?" she asked.

Zeref smiled at her, tilting his head to the side. "Interesting, it seems history has changed its name. Be wary of the gate, Yukino, change is not always good for the world."

With that, he pushed his way past her, leaving them alone in the room to finish their discussions. So long as he had his hands on this single key, Eclipse would not be activated. With a smile, Zeref left to return to the games. After all, it would appear as if Zeref himself was in control of the key of the lion. No one would suspect Mystogan, or Zera for that matter.

 **It's been a while since I've updated this story! Sorry, school's kept me busy, I've been sick, and my poll places this story a bit behind in terms of which one I'm focusing on at the moment (Third, behind two stories tied for second and one at first). Either way, I do have another chapter ready for you! I hope you enjoyed Zeref's little interaction with them, out of disguise again. Feel free to review and tell me what you think!**


	12. Chapter 12

**Disclaimer:** I am not the owner of Fairy Tail

The next day of the contest was looking like nothing would be happening again. Zeref was not letting that key out of his sight, thus even in disguise he was carrying it beneath his black cloak. In the stands, it was clear that his team members were eager to win the battle. "Oi, you Zera this time?" Gajeel asked, raising an eyebrow at him.

Zeref nodded, glancing out over the arena as people began to gather, waiting for the start of the day's first event. "Juvia noticed that Jellal was upset yesterday. Did you fail to relay your concerns properly?" she asked.

"He simply does not have the aptitude required for sensing Eclipse when the gate is not actively seeking out magical energy," he commented, glancing over at the other stand where Fairy Tail's Team A stood. Lucy was there, and it was clear that she was upset. He could see her hand constantly drifting to her keys, but even so, he had done the right thing.

"What did you do to Lucy over there? She seems to be shaken up about something." Laxus asked, confused by his actions.

Zeref shrugged, not wishing to share the details of his plans. Besides, they were looking for volunteers for the next event. "I would go, but I'm still tired after yesterday's battle," Mira stated, giving them a smile.

"Juvia can go, she will battle against any foe to achieve victory for our guild," she insisted.

Laxus grabbed her shoulder, holding her back as he narrowed his eyes at Zeref. "No, Mystogan is going to fight for us again. He's gotta earn his keep, after slacking off so much yesterday," Laxus insisted.

He knew that this was Laxus' way of warning him against harming Lucy, but it mattered little to him. He walked out into the arena, not too concerned with the challenge at all. As they explained the task of destroying monsters, Zeref found he cared less and less about concealing himself here. Yes, it had been a valid strategy at the time, but in reality, it limited his magical ability. He could defend the key much more efficiently as the black wizard than he could as Mystogan.

When he drew number eight for ordering of beginning battles, Zeref didn't mind. If he cared little about hiding his identity, he would simply challenge all of the remaining monsters when his turn arrived. Nothing could destroy him, and with his death magic by his side, they would perish instantly and the game would end. Still, it appeared that someone else had the same idea.

He watched with bland interest as the scarlet haired wizard fought against all one hundred monsters alone, her sword flashing against each one she faced. Her skill was impressive; it was clear she had trained herself well with her magic and her sword skills. In the end, those monsters never stood a chance, thus that left them facing a slightly different challenge.

He remembered when this device was invented, a lacrima designed to determine the magical power of any wizard who struck it. Academies used it for tests and training, to help wizards see true improvement as they learned new spells and increased their strength. Now, it was used for military purposes, or in this case, a simple game.

With that understanding, Zeref could read this device well and understand the numbers produced as each wizard unleashed an attack on it. He himself had utilized these once, though it had been a long time ago. Zeref would show them just how powerful magic could be when his turn arrived. Still, the lightning mage from Sabertooth was impressive with his magic. "Black lightning…it appears were have another lost magic user among us," Zeref commented to himself, smiling at the number that appeared.

Others were stunned by it, simply due to how high it was in comparison to the numbers of his competitors. However, that score of nearly four thousand was blown out of the water by Jura, who nearly doubled that power with one attack. At last, it was Zeref's turn to face off against the meter. "I suggest you all stand back," Zeref warned, watching the others frown. "My magic, when at its most powerful, can be quite deadly."

The wizards did as he asked, backing against the wall of the arena and leaving Zeref alone in the center. They were watching with looks of interest, and even his team members were leaning over the railing of the stands, eager to see what he would do here. As Zeref closed his eyes, he spread his legs, taking on a new stance as he let his arms circle around his body, forming a familiar position. This was the spell he had used to destroy Grimoire Heart, a death spell that no one could escape.

A massive black light shot out from his hands, striking the orb with full strength. Darkness seemed to surround the device, exploding from the impact and leaving the score clouded in a sea of dust and darkness that was left behind from the spell. It slowly began to fade away, revealing an entirely maxed out score along with the shattered remains of the magic detector.

Others watched as Zeref returned to the stands, all of them shocked and awed by his true power. Even his own team members looked surprised. "What kind of a spell was that?" Gajeel asked when he sat down next to them.

"A specialty of mine. I do believe I am tired of hiding in these games, let us just see if anyone can identify me with my true magic on display," he told them.

"Are you sure? I mean, if you really are a wanted criminal like Jellal, things could go pretty badly if you were discovered," Mira asked, looking worried for him.

Zeref nodded, glancing out over towards the arena as the battles continued on. "People always react the same way, though it seems that is slowly changing. Yesterday—" he began, only to be interrupted by someone jumping down from the stand above them, landing in their small alcove.

A girl stood in front of them, narrowing her gaze at Zeref as she pointed out towards him. Familiar purple hair framed her face, still pulled up in pigtails that were somewhat longer than the last time he had seen her. "I thought I'd find you here again. I don't know what is going on with your team, and honestly, I don't care, but I'm not letting you follow through with that plan of yours. You are working with them, aren't you? This is just your cover, while you finish the Eclipse Project!" she declared.

Zeref narrowed his eyes towards her, shaking his head. "You have misunderstood our conversations. We are seeking to stop Eclipse from becoming active, though I am curious to know, how did you learn of it?" he asked.

The girl stared at him, hesitating with her arm lifted, as if preparing to cast a spell. "So, you aren't working with those people trying to kill Zeref?" she clarified, making Zeref freeze, glancing over at her with a look of surprise. Luckily, the mask hid his reaction, because it was unlikely for a member of Jellal's guild to really wish for this to not occur.

"Kill Zeref? See, what did I tell ya, Mystogan? This entire time, these people were trying to help the worl—" Laxus began, but shards of ice flew from the girl's hand, towards Laxus and pinning him to the wall after piercing his coat.

Laxus shrugged it off, his expression far more serious as he turned towards the girl. "I will not allow that to happen! Zeref…he has done more than just cause pain in the world. Will we really blame him, when we can't truly prove that he is evil like everyone says?" she insisted.

"That would be the best course of action, Sonora. Perhaps I should let them continue with their plan, though the date would be a bit off….maybe the gate could be…." he began, murmuring under his breath as he thought of ways to alter the gate. Maybe he could force it to go back before it was originally made, so they truly could destroy him before he gained his curse.

The girl turned towards him, her eyes wide with surprise. "You…how do you know my name?" she demanded.

"We've met before, under different circumstances. Since you are aware of our goals here, I suppose it matters little if you know that I am not truly Mystogan," he commented, glancing over at the arena once more. "I am the one who identified the spell within that bracelet you are wearing," he told her.

The girl blinked at him, touching the golden bracelet on her arm before giving him a small smile, rushing forward and hugging him tightly. "It's you! I didn't think…I thought you would have been elsewhere. I mean, you said you were planning on changing the world…" she stated, trailing off.

Zeref nodded, gazing over at her with a frown. He was leaning away from her, not too fond of the contact in any form. "Indeed, I shall change the world. The path to peace is almost within reach. I am only a few steps away," he told her calmly. Sonora stepped back with a smile, seeing his discomfort.

"Wait, you know this girl?" Mira asked, while Zeref nodded.

"Yes, I met her during my first mission with Jellal. At the time, she believed I was Ultear, but we came into battle with a dark guild and I was forced to reveal my true identity to her," he commented.

Gajeel frowned, glancing over at them. "True identity? Who the hell are you then, Zera?" he demanded.

"That is my business, though it appears we must focus once more. Laxus, it is your turn to battle," Zeref commented.

The lightning wizard scowled, moving towards the arena for his battle. "Hey, this isn't over, Zera. I don't care if Jellal trusts you. You've got way too many secrets for us to just trust you like this," he insisted.

"Well, it looks like not everyone trusts you yet," Sonora commented with a smile over at him. "So, how do we stop Eclipse? I sort of came after hearing a rumor about it back home. When traveling with a merchant, you hear all kinds of strange things," she asked.

Zeref turned towards her, frowning slightly. "Why stop it? I've told you before, I am not a kind person, nor am I someone worthy of being saved. If these people wish to destroy Zeref, the world would be a better place without him," he insisted, only barely remembering about the others.

"It isn't about being kind, Zera," Mira said from behind him. "You have a strength within you. I've seen it already. You fight for your beliefs, and while you may guard your past well, I see that you care for your friends," she told him, glancing between Zeref and Sonora.

Zeref did not smile at that, scowling even deeper. It was a problem, since her words were true in a way. He had few friends in the world, and while Sonora hardly knew a thing about him, her past connected with his own in a way. "Do not make me remember. It would be a disaster in a place like this," Zeref warned, though that warning only led to confusion in the others around him.

Zeref turned away from them, focusing on the battle in the arena. He was sensing quite a bit of magical power from one of the wizards, but nothing coming from Laxus. The entire scene seemed strange, and as he studied it, Zeref slowly began to smile. "I see, an illusionist," he commented quietly, carefully creating a magic circle under his feet. It would allow him to see the true battle, rather than the fake spell used to hide the real competitors for the fight.

It did not seem to be a true battle occurring, though Raven Tail had all gathered in the arena to face off against Laxus. Zeref did not get interested until he heard the reason behind the illusion. "Let's have you tell us, shall we? The location of Lumen Histoire," the master of Raven Tail stated, a greedy smile on his face.

Zeref's hands clenched into fists on the barrier between himself and the arena, glaring at those words. "No…I will not allow this," he stated angrily, turning to leave his members in the stands.

Gajeel rolled his eyes at Zeref, while Mira and Juvia were too absorbed in the battle to notice. Sonora watched him with concern, before following after him. "What's wrong?" she asked, seeing the look on his face.

Zeref glanced at her, sighing as he dropped his disguise again and returned to his normal self. "They are after something I need for my future. If anyone is going to take Fairy Heart, it shall be me," he stated darkly, moving to enter the arena.

The illusion within the place would hide his own presence, along with Sonora for now. By the time he had arrived, the discussions had broken down into a true battle, one man against five. Zeref approached them calmly, ignoring the spells being launched out towards Laxus as he stepped closer to the leader of this guild. "I heard what you said, Ivan," Zeref said calmly, watching the man's eyes widen in surprise at him.

"You—who are you? How did you break free of our illusion?" he demanded.

Laxus was staring at the man in front of him, his eyes widening at the boy. "This smell, you're—" he started, but Zeref gave him a harsh glare to silence his words.

"Your spell is weak, focused too broadly and incapable of fooling anyone with even a moderate understanding of magic," Zeref told him, glancing around the stands. "These people are simply too interested in seeing a good fight to realize this, but in a true battle, this illusion would have shattered in seconds."

"How dare you insult us? Master—" Flare began, turning towards Ivan who was clearly enraged himself.

Zeref stood still as the attack came rushing towards him, a spell that looked like a massive amount of paper dolls spiraling towards his body. "You are seeking the power of Lumen Histoire, correct?" Zeref stated, watching the man freeze, gazing towards Zeref with wide eyes. "It is not yours to take, foolish human. I have already laid claim to it, and anyone who wishes to challenge me shall face my wrath."

Ivan laughed in amusement, glancing over towards one of his comrades. "Me, foolish? I've waited seven years to find it, and now, you have come into this place claiming to know where it is! Obra, take away his magic power, let's see if he'll keep his pride when he is crawling on the floor at our feet."

The wizard moved to attack, but Zeref moved this time, slamming his fist into the man's stomach and sending him flying into the wall of the arena. "Do you truly wish to challenge me? I suppose that means you do not know who I am," he commented with an amused smile.

Sonora stood by his side, raising her arms and creating icy spikes in the air around her. "Your magic isn't suited for this, I will deal with them," she told him. He glared at her, irritated with the interruption, but she was focused on the other wizards. "I told you before, people don't have to die for your desires. I don't know what this is about, but I know that you aren't trying to hurt anyone."

With one last glare at the wizards, Zeref stepped back, letting her take control with Laxus by her side. "So, this is what you really look like, huh? Never thought you were a guy all along, Zera," he commented, smirking as he prepared to fight.

Sonora sent her ice shards flying towards Flare, who used her hair to burn away the ice. "My turn! I've got you now!" she shouted, her red hair flying towards Laxus and wrapping tightly around his arm. With a glare, he turned towards the girl, unleashing a lightning dragon roar against her and sending her flying back, unconscious from the wound.

The other wizard came rushing forward, spiky needles growing on his arm as he moved to attack Sonora. She jumped out of the way, looking focused as she created an ice sword in her grip, much like the one Zeref had first seen her with. She swung it out towards the man, slicing into his arm and making him look concerned at the wound. Laxus finished the man off, pounding him into the ground with a lightning covered fist.

"Hey, Zera? Why aren't you fighting with us?" Laxus asked, but Sonora glared at him.

"Hey, I just told him to stay out of this! Can't you figure it out already?" she demanded, putting a hand on her hip. Laxus carelessly blasted away one last mage who attacked, focused on his argument rather than on the battle.

"If I could, I wouldn't be asking, you idiot," he told Sonora.

She huffed, glancing towards Ivan with a pout. "He's dangerous, that's all. I mean, last time I saw him in a fight, I was barely able to talk him out of killing everyone there," she commented.

"Sonora, leave the rest of this to Laxus. If we are seen in the arena, it would not look well for us," Zeref stated. "Besides, you are not the only person here aware of my identity," he added, gazing up into the stands. Natsu was there, watching carefully as the illusionary battle continued. When that illusion ended, it would become clear that Zeref was here, especially if they reacted to his presence.

"Hey, Zera, what is Lumen Histoire anyway?" Laxus asked, stopping them as he moved to leave.

Turning towards Laxus, Zeref kept his expression calm and neutral. "There is a reason you do not know, Laxus. Such secrets are better left alone."

He turned to leave them alone, letting Zeref leave and return to the stands with Sonora. His transformation was back, and he rejoined the others in the stands as Laxus was declared victorious. When the dragon slayer returned to join his team members, his gaze focused on Zeref and did not move. "Ivan said it is Fairy Tail's darkness. Is that true?" he asked.

Zeref frowned, aware that the others were confused by what they were discussing. "It depends on how you look at it, I suppose. It speaks of a darker past, however, the object itself is neither light nor dark in nature," he decided.

Laxus nodded, leaning back in his seat as the final battle for the day began. "Well, I'm still going to figure out who you really are. I know your face now, all that's left is to learn your name," he warned.

Zeref gave him a slight smile, amused with this challenge. "Is that so? I wish you luck, for even with my face, few can identify who I truly am," he stated. All that was left for Zeref to do now was decide if Eclipse needed to be stopped or not. After all, it would be interesting to see if someone could still destroy him, even after all of this time.

 **Please review and tell me what you think!**


	13. Chapter 13

**Disclaimer:** I am not the owner of Fairy Tail

The games had been rather boring for Zeref after that day, though for the others it was quite different. Battles continued to rage on, and even in the simple contests, members of guilds found themselves injured. "Zera, could you…would you be willing to help her?" Sonora asked him, standing in the medical ward near the injured celestial wizard. She had been tortured by a member of Sabertooth, and with this, it was quite worrisome. He was glad he had taken the key from her, because otherwise, she would be vulnerable to losing them all at this moment.

Shelia and Wendy had already performed their own magic on the girl, but Zeref's knowledge of magic could help her even more. "What do you mean help her?" Natsu asked, frowning over at the disguised wizard.

Zeref glanced away from him, towards the curtain by Lucy's bedside. "I…I suppose she is referring to my knowledge of magic. I do understand a little about healing, even though it is a lost magic," he explained.

"Really? Wow, that's amazing. Can you believe that we've found another rare wizard here? I didn't realize Jellal was traveling with someone who practiced a lost magic," Wendy stated, sounding amazed.

Zeref didn't meet her gaze, still focused on the curtain. "I would not consider myself a practitioner of healing magic. It has been a long time since I even attempted such a thing," he commented, glancing down at his hands. "In fact, I think it would not be wise for me to do so."

If he attempted healing, it would mean he valued life in some form. That result would be the return of his curse, killing everyone in this room if not more than that. "Why the hell not? If it'll help Lucy, I'll make you do it!" Natsu insisted, but Gray pulled the fire wizard back, shaking his head at him.

"Knock it off, idiot! We can't force Zera to do it if she doesn't want to," Gray insisted.

Sonora gazed at him with worry, looking concerned. "My magic…it is hard to explain. For purposes of right now, simply understand that it does not always act according to my wishes. If I were to attempt a healing spell, I could very likely end up killing her instead," Zeref told them.

They stared at him with wide eyes, looking uncertain of what to make of his words. "That does not sound well for any of us. How long has this occurred for you? Did someone curse you?" Erza asked, studying him closely.

Zeref sat down in the corner of the room, trying to put some distance between himself and the others. It was strange, looking like someone else yet being asked these questions. "It is a curse, though it is not one any of you can help me with," Zeref stated, not going any further into the details.

Sonora was watching him carefully, moving to join him even after the master came in to try and join their teams into one. Zeref would not be on either of them, so he was left wondering just what to do now. He left the others alone in the room, letting Sonora follow him out into the streets. This had always been his plan, finding the Eclipse Gate, but now, he was beginning to tire of his efforts. So much work to obtain it, yet he would still be far from his goal. Fairy Tail did not seem to be any closer to trusting him, not with his secretive past, and he had no idea where the time rift would be located in this world.

"I didn't realize…I'm sorry," Sonora said after a few moments of walking through the streets.

He sighed, running a hand through his hair as he dropped his transformation. It was getting tiring, keeping up this facade for so long. "There is a reason I despise life, Sonora. If I place any value in it at all, the world around me will begin to perish," he told her, watching the girl's eyes widen. "That is my curse, the reason why I have abandoned healing in favor of black magic."

"But, I thought you…I mean, back in my village…." she began, trying to connect it with what she had seen.

Zeref nodded, gazing up at the sky. "I had begun to remember back then….and as a result, Skylight Cross was killed with a single spell," he told her. "My future will always remain dark, Sonora. Either someone will finally have the power to end my life, or I will succeed in altering my past. Those are the only two ways for my story to end peacefully, without more death and destruction following behind me."

Sonora stared at the ground, looking upset as she continued walking by his side. "That must be so lonely…living like that. Don't you ever…just want to have a friend?"

Zeref stared at her, already aware of where this line of questioning would lead. "The people I care for always die by my own hand. In the end, the pain is never worth the brief joy I found in the relationships I've had in life. This is why I left your village when I did. To be honest, we could have been friends if things were different," Zeref told Sonora, watching her frown as he gave her a sad smile. He could feel his curse within him, rising already at the small sliver of an attachment he had to this girl. "I am sorry, Sonora. You should have stayed home. If you did, we never would have met again."

She looked a bit confused at his words, seeing a small tear fall from his eye just as her body began to collapse, the light fading from her eyes. Zeref caught her body, gently lowering her to the ground with a small smile. "You were a good person, Sonora, one of the few people who did not reject me in this world. I will not forget that, even though I now bear the guilt of your death."

He gently closed her eyes, rising to his feet to leave this area. People would slowly begin to question her death, and it would be easy to push the blame onto him. He moved through the streets, planning on a silent night before the final day of the competition. Instead, he felt something strange in the air, a magical power that felt out of place right now. With a frown, Zeref began to move closer to it, following the trail through the streets of the city.

He stopped when he located the source, someone dressed in a black cloak that had a hood up to cover their face. Across from her was Jellal, already investigating the magic he had sensed. The blue haired wizard's stunned face flickered over to the place where Zeref now stood, his eyes widening even further as the girl turned towards him as well. "Z-Zeref…I see. It's good to see you, at least one last time," the girl whispered, smiling over at him with a sad look in her gaze.

"Zeref…it seems as if this is the perfect time for me to end this once and for all," Jellal stated as well, trying to ignore the girl in the street.

Zeref was looking at her, seeing just what had happened immediately. Lucy was currently in the hospital, so this was a sign that his plan was going to fail. "No, this is a time to build up your defenses. Lucy, you should not be here," Zeref insisted. He didn't even question how she knew his identity, since it was quite possible for his disguise to be lost in the future.

"I…I had to, at least, if there was any chance…" she began, wrapping her arms around herself. Jellal moved closer with a frown, ready to attack but not willing to put Lucy in harm's way. "You see, not long from now, dragons are going to come and attack the city," she said at last, glancing over at Zeref.

He glanced away from her, towards the ground. "So my theory was correct," he commented, seeing the celestial wizard nod.

"You tried to help, but…I really don't know the details. You spent more time with Natsu than you did with the rest of us, so he would know the real story behind it….in the end, you died in an attempt to protect Natsu from Acnologia," she said sadly, making Zeref frown, shaking his head.

"That….it isn't possible. I've faced Acnologia in battle before, and neither of us arose victorious," he stated.

Jellal glanced at them, unsure of if he should speak or not. "I apologize, but could you explain to me why you are treating Zeref as if he were an ally of yours? He is the black wizard, responsible for the creation of the demons of our world, and the source of the energy we've been tracking in this city for years," he insisted.

"Jellal, I know it is hard to understand, but Zeref isn't really trying to hurt anyone…well, I guess that's not quite true," she said softly, glancing over at Zeref with a sad smile. "Right now, I'd bet the only person he wants to harm is himself. If you knew anything about him, you'd understand why he's done the things he's done, and maybe, you'd be able to move on."

"I find it rather disturbing, hearing someone aware of my plans that have yet to occur," Zeref commented, glancing over at Lucy who looked away, her expression showing just how worried she was. "Who opens the gate? It should be simple enough to stop them once I know their identity."

Lucy glared at him, looking angry at the suggestion. "No! Natsu would never let—er, never mind. I guess…it's just hard to explain. As far as the person responsible goes, I can't really tell you who it is. My memory of this time, it's hazy and some of it seems to be missing…" she commented, frowning with concern.

"Where is it, then? It may take some time, but I can move the gate elsewhere and prevent anyone from activating it for the time being," Zeref suggested. It would also allow him to hide it within his empire until he located the time rift.

Lucy stared at him, narrowing her gaze. "You aren't using it either, Zeref. I may not understand you all that well, but I did figure out what you wanted to do with Eclipse before you died."

Jellal glanced over at Zeref, still lost in the matter. With a sigh, the black wizard turned towards him, deciding it would be best if he at least had some understanding of the situation. "The Eclipse Gate is a spell I designed a long time ago, meant to open a gateway between two entirely different times. The Lucy we are speaking with comes from our future, with a warning of what is about to arrive. Somewhere in this city, the gate is about to reach activation. However, they are still missing something quite important," Zeref stated.

He pulled out a golden key from his robes, holding it up for Lucy to see. "That's…you took my key! How dare you? Loke is my…" she began, trailing off as she realized she was fighting for her past self's key, rather than her own.

"This is my plan to keep the gate shut. Do you truly think there is a wizard capable of taking it from me?" he asked, watching Lucy hesitate.

"Not in the way you're thinking," she said at last, turning away. "I think that you may want to give it up, though. Like I said, there is only one person you want to harm right now, Zeref," she insisted.

Jellal still seemed uncertain of what to do, debating between attacking Zeref and letting this conversation continue. "Jellal, I am aware that you wish to destroy me, however, such a feat is impossible. There is a reason my sole wish is to find a way to end my life, a reason why I cannot achieve that dream."

"If Lucy's words are correct, you are quite capable of finding death," Jellal added, while Zeref nodded, not arguing against him.

"Look, I didn't come to talk with either of you. I need to warn my friends, before it is too late. Please, don't tell anyone you met me, okay?" Lucy begged, watching Jellal and Zeref glance towards each other.

"I have nothing to gain by revealing your presence, Lucy Heartfilia. In the end, I will either alter the gate for my own needs, or ensure that no one steels what is rightfully mine. Both paths will avoid the gateway to the past, where dragons still exist," Zeref insisted.

Jellal nodded, looking thoughtful and allowing her to leave. As soon as she was gone, his gaze turned towards Zeref with a frown, his eyes calculating. "Do you truly believe what she says? Something about this future does not add up," he commented.

Zeref glanced at the gate key in his palm, debating if it were possible to take something like this from him. Theoretically, he had been debating activating the gate himself, with a few modifications to actually allow them to travel far enough back in the past to destroy him. "Perhaps….the gate would allow for time travel, though the time she arrived in seems odd. If this is when she arrived, then that means Eclipse is nearly opened at this point," Zeref stated.

Jellal nodded, his body still tense as he stood near Zeref in the street. The challenges were likely finished for the day, however, there was still work planned for Jellal and his guild to do. "Zeref, why should I believe in what this Lucy told me? From my own knowledge, something seems off about her. It is likely she is not truly Lucy to me, and if that is the case, you are still the same black wizard I came to this city trying to destroy," he asked.

Zeref turned towards Jellal, giving him a dark smile. "I've never once claimed to be otherwise. My existence brings this world despair, and if I live on, I promise I will bring about more despair for you and your friends," he commented. "Even so, my death is an impossibility. Even with your power, you cannot overcome my immortality."

Jellal frowned at this, narrowing his eyes at Zeref. "There is always a path to the light, even for those with the darkest of souls. Regardless of if you are immortal or not, I shall find a way to destroy you," he insisted.

"You are not the first to make that claim, nor will you be the last. If you truly wish to end my life, I would suggest turning your focus towards Natsu of Fairy Tail. His potential for growth is greater than any I've ever encountered. If anyone can destroy me, it would be him," Zeref stated.

Jellal looked a bit surprised, leaning forward towards Zeref. "Why tell me this? Just what do you have to gain?"

Zeref turned away, gazing out towards the empty street in the darkness of night. "Peace. I tire of being rejected by this world, of searching for a way to change my fate. In the end, it is now a race to see who will obtain their goal first. Will it be I, seeking to alter my destiny through my past? Or will it be you and your friends, those who simply seek my destruction? Either way, I will fulfill my desire, so I see no need to interfere with your plans."

"So, you also seek Eclipse for yourself?" Jellal asked.

Zeref nodded, turning back towards the blue haired wizard. "For my own plans, I will need to alter the spell. Its current set-up will not allow me to relive my life, and without that, I will not be able to alter my decisions. I was far too stubborn and too rash when I was young. No one could change my mind, and that ended up being my undoing," he said sadly.

Jellal seemed to think for a moment, gazing at Zeref for a while before sighing, closing his eyes as he calmed himself. When he reopened them, he seemed to have a small smile for Zeref. "I see, you are simply trying your best to atone for a mistake of yours in the past," Jellal stated. "In that regard, I suppose we are alike. Perhaps you are not as evil as history says. For now, it seems our goals are aligned. If you wish to stop Eclipse from opening, I will lend you what power I can to that end. However, the moment you try and take it for yourself, we will become enemies once more. Do I make myself clear?"

Zeref chuckled darkly, shaking his head at Jellal as he moved towards the outskirts of the city. The wizard followed closely behind, looking confused as to why they were suddenly traveling. "You've been aiding me for far longer than you realize, Jellal. I tire of hiding, and it is time to reveal myself to the others. Let us see if Ultear truly knows me as well as she thinks, for she has now seen my true magic on display at this pointless competition."

Jellal didn't seem to understand what he was saying, at least not at first. Then slowly, he stopped moving, staring at Zeref with a look of shock. "That's…you can't be…Zera?" he asked, while Zeref gave him a single nod, inclining his head slightly.

He was about to move again, towards the area where Ultear and Meredy were waiting on the edge of the city, when a massive amount of wizards seemed to come rushing through the streets. All of them were dressed in white capes, surrounding Jellal and Zeref quickly with stern looks on their faces. "Jellal Fernandez, we have finally found you. It is time to place you back where you belong," one of them stated, a man with dark black hair tied up in a pony tail behind his head. He pushed his glasses up on his nose, focusing his gaze on Zeref as well.

"You are traveling with a wanted criminal, whoever you are. I suggest you stand down and let us do our job," he added.

Zeref gazed at him with a cold glare, not pleased with their actions. He may not be capable of attacking with his death magic, not without killing Jellal in the process, but he did have another magical object to use. "With enough magical power, even without a contract you can force a spirit out from their gate. It is quite fascinating, don't you think?" he commented, seeing Jellal look at him with alarm in his gaze.

"That's impossible, I've never heard of such a thing happening," he insisted.

Zeref turned back towards the wizards around them, holding the golden key out with a glare. "Stop him!" the same man ordered, but his magic was already flowing strongly through the key. The resistance was strong, which was to be expected from a spirit as powerful as Leo. Even he could not resist the black wizard's call, especially with the amount of force he was putting into the summoning.

"I command you, Gate of the Lion, Forced Opening! Come forth, Leo!" Zeref called out, the normally golden magic circle of an opening gate being tainted with black from his own magic. So much of his power was put into this summoning that it was not nearly as bright as normal, revealing the true nature of his power even in this.

In front of him, a man stood with orange hair, dressed in a black suit. "What have you done with—no, it can't be…" he whispered, seeing Zeref in front of him.

"Someone is after Eclipse, this affects all of you as well," Zeref told him, seeing Leo hesitate, glancing around at the situation. "Your master is safe from harm, for the time being, so I suggest you fight to keep it that way."

Leo didn't look too pleased with this, gazing back towards the rune knights waiting to fight them. "Wait, he has the final key!" one of them called out, rushing forward. Zeref frowned at this, before he realized what it meant. "We must retrieve it, for Princess Hisui and the Eclipse 2 Project!" the same one insisted.

"I see that now. Zeref. You do realize you are at a disadvantage right now. Your….friend is in the way." Leo commented, gazing over at Jellal. "I may not be fond of your methods, but I know I cannot stop you."

"You should know by now, I have no friends." Zeref commented, glancing over at the spirit.

Leo nodded, sighing as golden light began to glow around his fists. "It has been quite some time, hasn't it? I don't think I've seen you since Anna last summoned me." he commented. "Its disturbing to see. Humans aren't meant to have lives as long as us spirits."

Zeref frowned at him, seeing Leo's fist collide with one of the knights in front of him. "The plan back then has yet to be finalized, though everything is being set up. They have arrived, something I'm sure you are aware of," Zeref told the spirit, watching him nod.

"Yeah, I know. Layla's sacrifice won't be forgotten, so you better hope that plan of yours actually works," Leo stated. Zeref nodded, aware of what had happened. The guardian of the Eclipse Gate and the twelve zodiac keys had waited for so long to open the gate once more. Generations had passed before it actually occurred, and at the time, she had not been strong enough to truly activate it. Even so, Layla had tried her best, pouring out all of her magical energy to open the gate and bring those few members of the past to the present. In the end, she used too much magical energy, and perished from magic deficiency.

Staring at Leo, Zeref could not really say anything about the matter. It was never a guarantee of success, only a chance. Jellal was staring between the two with a look of confusion, not following their conversation and the knights were focused on trying to fight off Leo. A blast of golden light sent some of them flying back, clearing a path for Leo to charge through. He turned back, smiling over at Zeref as they got into the streets, now running from the swarm of knights.

Jellal was by Zeref's side, but neither of them were expecting Leo's next move. "I'm sorry, but I can't let that happen again. Lucy needs me, regardless of what you think," Leo stated quietly. Zeref stared at him with shock, but he reacted a moment too late. The lion spirit slammed a fist into Zeref's chest, sending him flying back while also grabbing ahold of the key Zeref had kept on his person, hanging from a chain around his neck. As Zeref got up, preparing to fight back, Leo ran far away. The spirit's speed would far exceed his own, and at the moment, Zeref was not able to predict where he would go. Teleportation would not help then either, thus, he was forced to watch as the final key left, free to fall into the hands of those who wished to use the gate.

 **So, after some consideration, I've decided that Zeref must know quite a bit about celestial magic after designing Eclipse. For anyone confused about how he can use it, just take a moment to think about how significant celestial magic was made to be in the use of the Eclipse Gate...yeah, it just made sense for him to be able to use it, hence this chapter. There was a bit too much in this chapter, and I feel like some stuff got rushed in it...but I was struggling with making the pace slow down when writing this. Did it seem that way to you guys? Feel free to let me know in a review!**


	14. Chapter 14

**Disclaimer:** I am not the owner of Fairy Tail

Jellal walked with Zeref back towards their group, ready to get a strategy together now that Eclipse was even closer to activating. They had finally managed to lose the rune knights, after running for quite some time. Zeref had grown irritated with running and ultimately grabbed Jellal's arm before teleporting them to the inn he was staying at with the guild. They ended up resting their for a while, sleeping for the night before moving on. With no more worries about the guards, the two of them had pulled up the hoods on their cloaks and resumed their original mission of regrouping with Meredy and Ultear.

"I suppose there is another theory that explains why Lucy appeared now, rather than at a time when the gate was open," Zeref commented as they walked, watching Jellal turn towards him and wait for more. "There is a time rift, somewhere in this world. It is throwing off the balance, a creation that formed when I first used the gate four hundred years ago. If this is factored in, it is possible for people from any time to travel to a point where it exists. The gate simply acts as the initial activation of the spell, while the rift acts as the second gate for them to arrive through."

Jellal nodded, glancing over at Zeref with a frown. "What did you even need such a spell for in the first place? From what little I know of your past, your magic specializes in polar can either create life or destroy it. This is the first I've heard of anything relating to time in your hands," he asked.

"Few are aware of everything I've done. The Eclipse Gate….it was a necessary device," he stated at last, frowning as he gazed away. "I had recently begun to appreciate life, and that had more of an effect on me than you realize. A war was going on, though that should not be surprising. Humans always find reasons to start pointless wars, and with each war, I forgot more and more about how valuable life could be," he mused quietly.

Jellal turned towards the ground, looking distant himself. "That isn't entirely unreasonable. Being surrounded by so much anger and hatred will taint your views. Still, there are moments of happiness even in times of war, times where people show how strong their love is for their family, and enjoy life to its fullest rather than wasting a single moment of their day."

"I never saw such things. I only saw pointless death and pain in war," Zeref stated calmly, shrugging. "Regardless, I've moved on past such things. Wars are simply a means to an end. I cannot truly claim they are evil when I have participated them myself. As far as Eclipse goes, it was an old project at the time, one I had abandoned during my time in school."

Jellal glanced over at Zeref, his gaze seeming to fill with understanding. "Those ruins seven years ago…you truly weren't lying, then. You went to that academy and learned magic there, before becoming what everyone now knows you to be."

Zeref nodded, smiling slightly. "Indeed, and that book I brought back with me were my notes on Eclipse. The spell was not finalized until the need arose to use it, in an era where dragons fought against humans to control the world," he began, gazing at the sky. "My newly found love of life tormented me more than you can imagine at that time, though the war helped. People see life differently when in a time of war, and that gave me some measure of peace that allowed me to focus on my work without fear of what might happen to others."

Jellal seemed confused, but Zeref continued on not wanting to be interrupted again. "Dragon slayers were born in this war, humans trained by dragons to defeat other dragons. It was meant to be humanity's ultimate weapon in the war, but ultimately it backfired on them. One dragon slayer grew far more powerful than the rest, slaying dragons on both sides of the war until he himself began to change. The magic he had obtained came at a great cost, as it does for all dragon slayers. Acnologia, the black dragon of the apocalypse, was born from this magic."

Jellal's eyes went wide, now standing on the edge of the city in a barren area. Rocks were on the ground, no plants growing beneath their feet as Meredy and Ultear approached from a distance. "Dragon slaying magic….transforms them into dragons?" he asked, looking stunned.

Zeref nodded, ignoring the shocked expressions on Ultear's and Meredy's faces. "No one could stop him, not even the dragons themselves. Acnologia became the king of dragons, even though he had started out trying to destroy them. Even I attempted to battle him, but in the end, I did not have enough control over my magic to cause much harm," he commented, glancing over at Ultear whose hands were shaking, clenched into fists at her sides. "Instead, I turned towards other wizards for help, gathering with one in particular in the forest to speak with the few remaining dragons about what should be done. We came up with a plan to stop Acnologia, under the belief that his power would weaken over time or that I would be capable of thinking of a proper method of destroying him over the years. Eclipse was built, a device to send our secret weapon into the future, activated by Anna Heartfilia four hundred years ago and then once again by Layla Heartfilia to allow passage into the future."

Jellal nodded, glancing over at Ultear and Meredy calmly as he saw their reactions. "You…I'm not going to forgive you for what you did to us!" Meredy shouted, holding her arm out in front of her. Zeref frowned, seeing a small glowing pink band form on her wrist, as well as on his own.

His eyes widened at the sight, a sense link between the two of them. "Break it, now." he ordered, rising to his feet.

"No, this is the only way to stop you." Meredy insisted. "Death can be shared across a link…I may have found a reason to live, but I will sacrifice my life if it means killing you." she told him.

Jellal's eyes widened, grabbing Meredy's wrist and pulling her back. Zeref felt the pressure on his own wrist, but that was not his concern. "I advise you to give Meredy some space. Since she does not wish to release the link, she will begin to understand soon enough why I gave her that warning," he told Jellal.

The blue haired wizard frowned, but slowly stepped back. Ultear remained in place, glancing between both of them with worry on her face. "There are other ways, Meredy. He may be Zeref, but I've defeated him before—" she began.

"You defeated me before I had control over my magic, Ultear. My power is far greater than it was when you last faced me, so do not underestimate what I can do," he warned.

Meredy was staring at Zeref, tears in her eyes as she pulled out a sword from under her cloak, pointing it towards herself. "Do it. Show me your resolve," Zeref ordered, getting himself a sharp intake of breath from Jellal.

"Are you insane? I told you before, we are working towards the same goal! You cannot just—Meredy, no!" Jellal shouted, seeing the wizard finally grow strong enough to do it. The blade plunged into her stomach, making her collapse to the ground from the wound. Zeref acted similarly, bending over with his arms over his stomach, blood darkening his shirt.

Zeref took in a few deep breaths, the sense link still active on his wrist as he began to stand up once more. "Sensory links share death between linked members, that is correct. However, they also share another trait that is far less common," Zeref stated, moving towards Meredy. "Curses," he stated curtly, sending a black orb flying towards Ultear. The time wizard was sent flying back, landing next to Jellal on the ground as Meredy stared at Zeref with fear in her eyes. Her wound had healed, but Zeref could sense the instability within her. Her hands were clutching her head, a familiar position to him from centuries of experience. For her, however, she was completely new to this. "If you wish for the pain to stop, break the link," Zeref told her, seeing her shake her head.

Zeref knelt by her side, feeling the pounding reflected in his own head. His magic might not act up like hers would, but the pain would come across the link. Meredy let out a pained wail, screaming into the sky as her magic reached its limit, exploding from her in a dark cloud. While most of this area was free of life, a few flowers peaked out from within cracks of the rock. These weeds wilted away, perishing in the black cloud of magic, while Meredy screamed in the center, tears running down her cheeks. "Break the link," Zeref ordered again, watching the girl finally nod in agreement. The spell vanished from his wrist, along with her own, leaving both of them kneeling on the ground as the magic finally dissipated.

"What was that?" Jellal asked, his eyes wide with Ultear standing fearfully by his side.

Zeref gazed over at them, his face sad as he saw the few dead plants on the ground. Gently, he pulled up one of the dead flowers from the ground, holding it out for the others to see. "My curse, shared with Meredy over the sensory link she foolishly placed upon us," he told them.

"I…I killed the flowers?" Meredy asked, sounding exhausted and afraid.

Zeref nodded, dropping the plant as he moved away from them. "Yes, though the curse will not linger within you. It only existed within you due to the link with me, thus it will no longer cause you strife," he told her.

"So, a sense link won't kill you," Ultear stated, looking grim as she raised her arm for battle. A white orb appeared above her arm, ready for attack, but Zeref sighed, shaking his head at her. "I'll do it myself then, Black Wizard. I am not the foolish woman I was before. I know that you are evil and must be stopped."

"As I stated before, I will not be so easy to defeat this time." Zeref told her, standing calmly in front of her as he waited for her attack. Jellal seemed to be moving to try and stop her, but he knew that this wizard would not let go of her hatred so easily.

Instead of the fight beginning, however, Zeref was interrupted by something slamming into his back, shoving him down to the ground. Someone was on his back, pinning him to the ground below. He had been so focused on Ultear and Meredy that he hadn't even bothered sensing for other threats, thus leaving him open for an attack. "Found you! Ha, I knew I could track your scent. Rather surprised though. Weren't you disguised as Mystogan at this point? No wait…you were Ultear…er….dang it, I can't remember!" a familiar voice complained from behind him.

"Did he just… _tackle_ the black wizard?" Ultear asked, sounding shocked at the sight. It was a bit strange, especially considering the fact that he was struggling to get up. The boy was not letting him move, and right now, Zeref was getting rather irritated with Natsu. The competition was supposed to be continuing at this point, so the boy should have been at the arena.

Jellal was nodding in agreement with her shock, watching the two with wide eyes. "I think it would be best for us to leave them alone. This seems like something that might anger him, and I have yet to see what he does when he is angry," Jellal stated.

Meredy nodded in agreement, joining them off in the distance as Zeref turned his gaze to look at Natsu. He seemed different though, something about his usual appearance was off. He wore the same vest as always, but the scarf he wore was black, and Zeref could sense a very dark magic surrounding it. "I haven't…my magic is under control…" he commented, confused as he stared at it.

Natsu smirked at him, laughing it off as he sat back, finally letting Zeref back up. "Right, that happened as the building began to collapse. Man, that was really one crazy battle, huh? Dragons invading the city, then the castle started crumbling down on me. You showed up, and then suddenly, I was being thrown through Eclipse as your own magic began acting up again," he commented, rubbing the back of his head. "So, what are we all doing over here?"

Zeref rubbed his head, closing his eyes with a frown. "I…I shoved you through the gate?" he asked, unsure of why he would do such a thing.

"Yep. You told me to help you find your resolve or something, I didn't really get it." he commented, before his grin faded. "You tried to explain, but I just didn't have enough time. You said you'd figured something out, something you had to know more than anything else before you would even think of helping me."

Zeref didn't grasp what this boy was saying, yet his story was seeming to match up with what the Lucy of the future had stated. "Am I understanding him correctly? Is he also from the future Lucy came from?" Jellal asked.

Natsu frowned, glancing at Jellal with confusion in his expression. "Lucy? Nah, she wasn't anywhere near the castle when they came. We had just broken her out of her prison cell, and she left to warn the others. I just got stuck in that place fighting off the guards when it collapsed."

Zeref glanced at Natsu, leaning forward and resting his chin against his clasped hands. "Why was I there?" he questioned.

"Well, at first you heard Lucy was captured and came to get her keys. Then, you ran into me and I…well, we teamed up for a bit. You were really unsure of yourself then, talking about wanting both Lucy and the keys for some plan of yours, but in the end, you seemed to have understood something better. I was supposed to come back and get you to figure it out before it was too late," Natsu explained.

Zeref decided that it made sense, but he wondered why he had yet to hear of this imprisonment yet. "I assume you are here to solidify my resolve to keep the gate closed?" Zeref clarified, watching the boy nod, giving him a toothy grin.

"Yep, and you said to help you do so, I needed to tell you something. I didn't quite get it, but you claimed that you would understand when I told you about it." he commented, rubbing the back of his head. "What was it again? Something about…valuing life…no, that's not it…" he began, looking focused as he tried to remember.

Zeref stilled at those words, glaring at Natsu harshly. "I assure you, there is no benefit in me placing value in life," he said darkly, his eyes flashing red for a moment. His brief anger faded, leaving them back to their usual black, but his companions did not miss the change in his expression. For just a moment, he seemed to be as dangerous as history made him out to be.

"Right, that was it! He said you need to value both life and death, though it doesn't make sense to me. I mean, if you value life, don't you want to avoid death?" Natsu asked, while Zeref glanced at his lap, letting his hands fall and rest on his legs.

Ultear came closer, looking confused as well. "I agree, it is a complete contradiction to want death and life together."

Zeref's eyes were closed, thinking hard about those words from his future self. "I died in the future. This is something I've already been told by Lucy. Perhaps that means someone succeeded in locating my past self, or perhaps I found something strong enough to end my life," Zeref stated calmly, analyzing what he knew first. "If I gave out this advice, it has to hold some purpose to me. Believing in a contradiction…valuing both…" he mused, glancing up at Natsu.

"I see, after all of these years, I finally understand," he stated, closing his eyes and glancing up towards the sky. "Life holds no meaning without death, thus death is needed in this world. Its value is perhaps greater than that of life, for it gives us all a purpose to enjoy the time we have," he commented. "And life…I feel as if I shall struggle for that one," he added, sounding distant. "Humans are cruel and selfish creatures. I do not see reason to value them any more."

"Wait, what is this doing for you exactly?" Jellal asked, turning towards Zeref.

The black wizard frowned at him, trying to determine just what this man saw in the world. He had seen humanity at its darkest, yet Jellal still saw hope for redemption in others. That potential for growth, the idea that everyone can improve, perhaps it was why they needed to continue living on. "Balancing out my curse," Zeref stated calmly, glancing over at Natsu with a small smile. "You wished to give me a chance to not be alone in the world, after all of this time."

"Yep. That way, you won't even want to use Neo Eclipse when we stop those idiots from opening the gate in the first place!" he said cheerfully.

Zeref froze at that name, glancing at the others who didn't even know about his second plan. Jellal may have understood parts of it, but he did not know all of the details about it. "I see…regardless, I must thank you, Natsu. I cannot remember the last time someone was willing to help me…well, I suppose I can," he stated quietly, his mind going back to Sonora. She was the first person in over a century to see potential in him, and he had nearly viewed her as a friend because of it.

Natsu nodded, patting Zeref's arm gently with a frown. "That's when I arrived then. I'm sorry, I really thought I would be here in time to save Sonora too," he said quietly.

Zeref nodded, his face sad as Jellal overheard that name. "Sonora? Why does that name sound familiar?" he asked, trying to place it.

"She was the wizard that you had me train…when you thought I was Ultear," Zeref stated, not even turning to see the widened eyes of Ultear and Meredy.

"Wait, then that means—you're Zera!" Meredy claimed, pointing over at him.

Zeref nodded, still looking distant as Natsu stood up, reaching down to help Zeref as well. "Sonora…she is dead? How?" Jellal asked, getting Zeref to glance back at him with a harsh glare.

Natsu's reaction was more surprising, however. "Knock it off, Jellal! Stop bugging him about it, Zeref can't control…er, sorry. I forgot, you don't like to talk to others about that bit," he commented, glancing over at Zeref.

"How did you come to know about it? From what I gathered, we only worked together for a brief period of time," Zeref asked, taking his hand and rising to his feet.

"You…well, I guess you sorta realized you valued my life when we started working together. Something about wanting me to live long enough to…" he began, trailing off with a glance towards Zeref. The black wizard nodded, well aware of this part of his current plans. "Anyway, your magic started acting up because of that, and you kept trying to get me to stay away. I was stubborn, and in the end, you explained it to me in the hopes that I would finally listen."

Zeref glanced over at the boy's scarf, giving him a slightly amused smile. "I assume you still did not listen even then," he commented, watching the boy shrug, looking unconcerned.

"Who cares if my scarf is black? After all, it kept me alive, didn't it?" he asked.

Zeref nodded, staring out towards the city. "I suppose it did. Perhaps there is another path for me to take…" he mused, glancing towards Jellal, Meredy, and Ultear. "I have kept my past hidden from all of you for a reason, however, I have not lied to you during our time together. My intention now…I suppose there is only one way to guarantee the safety of this place. The Eclipse Gate must be destroyed, and to do that, I will need all of your help."

Natsu blinked at him, looking a bit surprised at this change. "Destroyed? But I thought that magic—" he began, but Zeref nodded, gazing over towards the city.

"It does, thus we have a limited time to determine how to get around that issue. From what I've gathered—" he began, only for a massive announcement to echo within the city.

Zeref had already been aware of the dragons about to attack, however, the second part of the announcement made him freeze, his expression turning dark. "At the castle, they are currently getting ready to use our strategy, the Eclipse Cannon. Our objective is to wipe out all of the dragons."

Lacrimas had been used to broadcast the announcement, though it was clear that it was directed towards the wizards in the town square. "Eclipse…it is a weapon?" Jellal asked, turning towards Zeref.

"No, it is not. Someone is interfering with the plans of the government, likely another intruder from the future," he commented, glancing over at Natsu who nodded in agreement.

The blue haired wizard nodded, looking grave as he focused on the city. "Very well, I have something to do, in that case. We will need help, if we are truly to be facing dragons in battle."

Ultear and Meredy watched him leave, turning back towards Zeref uncomfortably for direction on what to do. "Once the gate is open, the first goal should be to close it. If Lucy was within the prisons of the castle, I imagine she is close to its location, as I have yet to locate it within the city," he began. "She will close it for us, I believe, after seeing the chaos unleashed by the gate."

"Wait, so we're going to be battling the dragons?" Ultear asked.

Zeref nodded, moving towards the city with a determined look on his face. "Yes, we will be. Ultear, Meredy, neither of you trust me and therefore, I shall not ask you to fight by my side. However, I ask that you fight together to keep these people alive. I shall work with the Natsu of the future, to finish coming up with a way to destroy the gate once and for all."

Natsu smirked over at Zeref, looking pleased with his choice. "Alright, sounds like a plan. I'm all fired up," he stated, grinning with flames in his hands for the fight that had yet to begin.

With a plan in mind, the four of them moved into Crocus, preparing for the worst as they went their separate ways. It would feel strange, fighting side by side with another wizard, but Zeref felt as if he could trust this Natsu. Something about his attitude was showing Zeref that in the future, someone could forgive him and view him as an ally. If they got through this alive, Zeref decided he would search for this again, and that he would join Natsu in his battles to defend Fairy Tail simply to enjoy the feeling of having friends once more.

 **I hope you guys enjoyed another update for this story! Feel free to review and tell me what you think!**


	15. Chapter 15

**Disclaimer:** I am not the owner of Fairy Tail

Zeref heard the first roar of the dragon, alerting him to the fact that the gate was open. The magical energy he could sense from here was immense, and he knew it would only keep growing until the gate was shut. "Damn, it's already open." Natsu grumbled under his breath, glancing over at Zeref.

The black wizard nodded, grabbing Natsu's hand tightly. "We need to move faster. Hold on, I shall bring us to the town square. From what I can tell, the gate has been moved to make this a public attack." he stated, watching Natsu nod.

Teleportation magic was easy to perform, and when he arrived, he was not surprised to see massive dragons walking out of the gate, pouring out into the streets. "Not yet, we will begin our counterattack after the gate is shut," he told Natsu, feeling flames against his palm. The dragon slayer glanced at Zeref's hand, pulling away with a growl under his breath. He was enraged at these beasts, but it was best if they were patient for the time being.

A massive dragon of rock appeared from the gate, roaring out its anger towards the people of this city. Zeref moved closer to the gate, prepared to shut it himself if necessary. "Acnologia is still here, even if you slay the people of this city, you will ultimately perish." Zeref told the massive beast. It gazed at him for a moment, growling deeply before continuing on its rampage, not recognizing the black wizard.

Zeref gazed around, spotting the celestial wizards working together to close the gate. Lucy was running towards Yukino, the keys thrown into the air as a last effort to shut the gate. "No! Those keys are solely for opening the gate, if you—" Zeref shouted, hesitating a moment before gazing back towards the gate.

"Natsu, stop them from opening the gates of the zodiac." Zeref ordered, watching the fire wizard frown, but nod in agreement. The girls had the right idea, however, using the zodiac keys like this during the time of an eclipse could have dire effects. The celestial spirit realm was vulnerable during this time, and magic like the gate was dark and unstable. Using them to lock it right now would only create a channel for that darkness to enter their realm, and he would not allow that to happen. Still, celestial magic opened the gate, and it was needed to close it.

Zeref hesitated, unsure of if he could perform this or not. As he performed any spell, his magic would drain away into the gate, leaving any attempt as a risk. He knew the concepts behind celestial magic, having studied it while developing Eclipse, but ancient lost spells in the art typically required mastery of that style of magic. "There is no time, I have no other choice." he stated grimly, gazing up at the light of the open gate.

"Gates of the heavens, hear my prayers." Zeref began, holding his arms wide as his magic began to flow. Dark shadows seemed to surround his body, lighting up the ground in a circle around him. Most celestial magic was golden in color, but Zeref's magic was always black, a result of his curse that he had gotten used to. "Lend me the power of the sun and the moon, intertwined as one. Reach into the sands of time, and guide my path. Heed the call of my voice and shine your power down upon me. I now invoke thee, Eclipse Flash!"

It was a spell only usable during an eclipse, meant as a form of defense during the sprits' time of weakness. In Zeref's left hand, white light was shining brightly, while on his right, black light seemed to glow just as dark. With the completion of his words, he clasped his hands together, his expression fierce as he focused on the gate before him. Black and white light intertwined as one, shooting off in twelve streams towards the key holes on the gate. This spell could cause massive destruction, however, Zeref had designed the gate to react to it instead. This had been his failsafe, in the event that something had gone wrong with the initial opening of the gate. Any celestial wizard would be capable of closing it during the eclipse, locking it with Eclipse Flash safely while keeping their spirits safe.

The power of Zeref's spell forced the massive doors shut, while draining away at his energy quickly. This was why shutting the gate was dangerous, until the eclipse ended. Under normal circumstances, the keys themselves could lock it once more, but not now. As the door slammed shut, the light around Zeref vanished, leaving the black wizard swaying on his feet. Natsu was kneeling by Lucy and Yukino, gazing over at Zeref with alarm in his gaze.

The dragon slayer rushed towards Zeref's side, catching the black wizard as his body collapsed, exhausted from his spell. "Natsu…we still have more…" he whispered, glancing off towards the distance.

Someone else was here, a man with black and white hair, standing confidently in front of them all. "Natsu? I thought I finished you off, but I suppose ending you now will not affect my plans in the slightest," the man commented with a smirk.

"I'm not the same Natsu, punk. You better watch your back, because I'm gonna kick your ass for hurting my friends," the fire wizard claimed, flames dancing around his body.

Zeref sat on the ground, watching him stand with a frown. "Natsu, wait," Zeref stated, watching the dragon slayer frown in confusion. The black wizard rose to his feet, still unsteady as he stumbled over to him. "This will only hinder you right now, I shall return it to you when you are finished," he stated, removing the black scarf from his neck. The magic within still would affect those near it, since it was designed to kill.

Natsu gazed at it for a few moments, nodding trustingly at Zeref. "You better. Igneel gave me that scarf, and I'm not going to let anyone take it from me so easily," he insisted.

"I'll deal with him," Future Rogue stated, glancing up towards the sky. "For now, start by finding all the mages in town, and eliminate them," he ordered, while Zeref sat back down, gazing at the dragons circling in the sky.

He had felt the magic imbued in those words, though it was hard to believe someone had that type of magic in this era. "Dragon manipulation…I see, you came here for Acnologia as well," Zeref stated calmly, smiling at the dragon slayer. "He is immune to your charms, is he not?"

Future Rogue glared at Zeref, not looking pleased with his comments. "Zirconis, do with him as you wish," he ordered, looking back to where a massive jade dragon had landed, looking eager to eat the celestial wizards and humans below.

Jumping on the back of a dragon himself, Rogue began to leave for the skies. Giving Zeref one last nod, Natsu joined the villain, starting his own battle in the air with the other dragon slayer on the back of a dragon. Zeref's focus turned now towards Zirconis, the beast that was looking quite hungry. "You humans look delicious. Its been a long time since I've had such a nice meal," he commented.

"If you continue causing a ruckus like this…he will come," Zeref warned, gazing up at the dragon.

Zirconis frowned, gazing over at Zeref as his meal was interrupted. "You…something seems familiar about this one. Does that mean I should eat you first?"

Zeref took a deep breath, rising to his feet once more. He was weak and low on magic, but even so, he was still immortal. His recovery rate was faster than that of any other wizard, and he was a master of meditation in any situation. Closing his eyes, Zeref calmed his mind and allowed his body to become one with the ethernano in the air, absorbing at least a small amount more to replenish what he had lost. "You should run, for I am death itself. Come any closer, and you will learn just what I mean."

Zirconis blinked, before taking a small step back. "It can't be…Zeref?" he asked.

Off to the side, Hisui and Arcadios were watching in fear, their gazes flickering between the wizard who had closed the gate and the dragon himself. "Did he just say—?" Hisui began to ask, turning towards the knight by her side.

"He did. There is no denying it, Zeref is alive, and he is standing right in front of us," Arcadios stated grimly.

Zeref turned towards them, nodding in agreement. "Indeed, I am the black wizard Zeref. You should know what that means for you, Zirconis," he commented, freeing his hands by wrapping Natsu's scarf around his own neck.

"Don't make me laugh, your magic is weak and has no effect on us." Zirconis stated. "Perhaps you aren't edible, but I will simply move on to these other tasty girls over here."

The dragon's gaze turned towards Yukino and Lucy, making Zeref stare at them blandly. "If that is your desire, then go ahead," Zeref stated, watching the dragon blink at him in confusion. "You see, I am not the same person I was back then. I cared for all life, since I had spent my time surrounded by death. Now, I've grown used to it. Life holds little to no meaning to me now, and with that ideology, I've mastered my magic. Even dragons will fall prey to my magic of death."

"Ha ha ha! I'm amused that you think so, when you are already so weak," Zirconis commented, turning his focus to the others. "Perhaps if you were at your full strength, our battle would have been interesting, but now, you could hardly kill a fly, let alone me."

Zeref glanced at the ground, aware that his words were true to an extent. Even so, he closed his eyes again, inhaling slowly and exhaling to try and recover even now. "That does not change the fact that my plan is incomplete. If you slay the wizards of this city, you will destroy our only hope of freeing this world of Acnologia," he warned.

This time, the jade dragon did seem to pause. Even four hundred years ago, these beasts were aware of the rising threat of the former dragon slayer. "Yes…now I remember. You were planning on stopping the black dragon, uniting your power with that of Igneel and the dragon slayers," Zirconis commented. He leaned close to Zeref, looking rather angry with the wizard as he did so. "I never liked his mindset. He was a foolish dragon, thinking we could befriend humans."

The dragon huffed, releasing a breath attack on the black wizard. Normally, it would have eliminated all clothing from him, but Natsu's scarf was made of dragon scales. It allowed that piece of clothing alone to remain, even after the attack left the rest of him naked. "What kind of an attack was that?" Lucy demanded, standing by Yukino.

"Zirconis is known for this. After all, clothing is not exactly edible, even for a dragon," Zeref commented in a bored tone, wondering if this would happen again. He had been eaten by a dragon long ago, and it had been a rather uncomfortable experience. His immortality kept him alive, but it felt strange having his death magic activate while within the body of a living creature. It had been the only time he had found a way to get around a dragon's magic resistant scales with his death magic. From within, a dragon could be killed quite easily.

Staring up at Zirconis, Zeref realized that there was little else to be done. He was about to taunt the beast once more, when Future Rogue flew overhead, laughing as something fell from the dragon onto the ground below. "See what becomes of your hope now, fairies? I have slain the great Natsu Dragneel, and now, none of you stand a chance of victory."

Zeref watched the boy fall, catching the body of a scarf-less Natsu before he collided with the ground. Wounds covered his body, signs of magic that had eaten away at him. This boy had come back in time for him, to show Zeref the truth he had been missing his entire life. Even if the current Natsu was unaware of how beneficial he had been, Future Natsu was the person that made Zeref see that he could have friends if he wished for it.

"Natsu…." Lucy whispered, tears in her eyes as she rushed over to the body of the pink haired boy.

Yukino was stunned as well, falling to her knees with her hands pulled up to her face. Tears were flowing out of her eyes as well, with Wendy moving closer to try and help. "He's…he's gone, I can't do anything…" she whispered, crying herself.

Zeref, however, was the only person not crying at this death. His hair was covering his face from the sight of others, leaning over Natsu as he spoke. "You killed him…the person who taught me to value death and life as one."

"Uh…I don't think that is exactly helpful to us…." Lucy mumbled, unsure of what to make of his words.

Zeref dropped Natsu's body on the ground, tossing it aside as he rose to his feet. Lucy and Wendy both flinched at the suddenness of his motion, moving to make sure no harm came to Natsu's body. "He may not be the Natsu of this time, but he is still the one I fought to protect. No one takes that away from me and survives," Zeref stated, glancing up into the sky. His eyes were pure red now, and unlike before, the red was not fading away. Zirconis saw this, taking a step back in fear of the black wizard's harsh gaze.

"I…Oh, that's right, men don't taste that good. I only eat woman," Zirconis commented, focusing on the girls behind Zeref.

The black wizard glared at him, not moving out of his way when the dragon thought he would. "You delayed me, forcing me to stay here rather than help him. I will not forgive you either," Zeref insisted.

"I..I can help you! Yes, I shall eat the human who took away his life, I promise you that!" Zirconis insisted, trying to save himself first.

Zeref narrowed his gaze at the dragon, moving to climb onto its back. "Very well, I shall spare you for now. Do as I ask, and I might just let you return to your own time alive."

Zirconis took to the skies, flying after Motherglare and away from the others. Anger was still coursing through Zeref, surprising even to him. Natsu was practically a stranger to him, but even so, the boy had brought back the knowledge of how to find peace with his curse. Even if Zeref had not perfected the concept, that knowledge was more valuable to him than anyone would comprehend. Thus, he owed the boy for telling him what to do. The only thing Zeref could do now was avenge his death, and there was more than enough anger to allow him to do so.

Even with weakened magical energy, Zeref was finding his strength growing with his anger. Zirconis finally arrived before Motherglare, keeping his distance as Zeref moved to stand on the jade dragon's back. "Zirconis, what is this?" Future Rogue demanded, seeing the dragon before him.

"Your magic is weak, even the smallest desire for self-preservation can allow these dragons to break free from your control," Zeref insisted, teleporting off of Zirconis' back and onto Motherglare's. He stood next to Rogue, his gaze harsh and unforgiving with the wind blowing back the black scarf he was currently wearing. "My power is stronger, and you happen to have made a grave error in your calculations."

Future Rogue glanced at Zeref, looking unconvinced. "I have the power of dragons by my side! Even with Zirconis' betrayal, six is more than enough to start my rule over this world. All it will take is Acnologia's destruction, and then I shall be the new king of the world."

Zeref narrowed his eyes at the man, still taking the time to let as much magical energy return to him as possible. "Do you truly think Acnologia is the only darkness in this world? There are other beings just as powerful, if not even more powerful, than the former dragon slayer you seek to destroy."

Rogue blinked at him, hesitated for a moment as he stood ready to battle. "Former dragon slayer….does this mean I shall become as powerful as Acnologia one day?"

Rogue was grinning at the idea, looking pleased with it as Zeref focused his red eyes on the man, holding his hand out in front of him. "No, for your life shall be coming to an end today. Killing Natsu was your mistake, and I am not known for showing mercy or forgiveness to my enemies."

"Is that so? Are your shadows eating away at your light too, then?" Rogue asked Zeref, dark magic welling in his hands. He was preparing to defend himself, but Zeref was not concerned.

The black wizard met Rogue's gaze, cold and heartless as he focused his spell. "There is no light left in me, only darkness. Death and life become as one in my mind, while only death follows my path," he stated darkly, a black orb forming within his hand. Zeref sent it flying towards Rogue, colliding with the dragon slayer who was shoved back, nearly off of his dragon.

Motherglare corrected her stance, keeping the dragon slayer on board as he moved to attack back. "Shadow Dragon's Crushing Fang!" he declared, shadows erupting from his hand towards Zeref. The black wizard didn't move to dodge as they collided with his form, cutting into his skin and leaving blood dripping down his body. It was likely disturbing to watch for Rogue, seeing his skin seal over with only a scarf covering his neck. Zeref had no opinion in the matter. After living for four hundred years, clothes were not all that important for him to have.

Zeref had not moved an inch during the attack of the shadows, while Rogue watched on in shock. "That…you're healing? How is this…what are you?"

Zeref smiled at the man, preparing a far more dangerous spell than his previous one. "My name is Zeref, and I am the black wizard," he told Rogue, watching the dragon slayer's gaze flicker with the first hint of fear since their fight began.

He vanished into the shadows, leaving Zeref's attack stored within. He could not find the boy to target, and it was troublesome to search for where he would appear. Even on the back of a dragon, there were plenty of places for shadows to hide, making this even worse than he thought. "I never thought I'd use this spell by choice, but you leave me with no other option." Zeref commented, closing his eyes to bring it about. He only had one death spell in mind that could span across a wide area, and kill everything within.

Just as he was about to unleash it, Motherglare was shoved backward towards the castle. Zeref's lost his focus, his body staggering as his eyes flashed open. He was going to kill whoever had prevented him from ending this pesky wizard's life, no matter how much effort he had to take to do so. Zirconis had flown out of the way to dodge Motherglare's body, but their was another dragon joining them in the battle.

"Atlas Flame? Another betrayer?" Rogue demanded, glancing between the dragon and Zeref.

Zeref noticed the dragon slayer's return, but he was still not pleased with the intrusion. "I'm going to put an end to your plans, Rogue," a dangerous voice warned, flying down from Atlas Flame's back and landing on Motherglare next to Zeref.

Familiar pink hair was by his side, making Zeref blink a few moments, the red finally fading from his gaze. He stumbled back a step, rubbing his head with a frown. "Natsu…I…I see. My resolve still wavers, I suppose, between the light and the dark," he stated, turning towards Rogue.

"Zeref? What the hell are you doing here, you bastard?" Natsu demanded, forgetting about Rogue for a moment to argue with the black wizard.

Zeref focused on Rogue, seeing the man growing irritated with Natsu's antics. "You brought me here. Much like Lucy, you traveled through the Eclipse Gate to try and alter our fate," Zeref stated.

Natsu glanced at him in surprise, blinking a few times at the black wizard. "Wait…I came back in time to save our future…and I went to _you?_ What was I thinking? Come on future me, I must've hit my head or something…" he mumbled, but Zeref shook his head.

"No, you were of sound mind when you came to me." Zeref stated. "I…I needed to hear your words, Natsu. They've shown me a new path I can walk in life, and given me a hope that I had lost long ago," Zeref took a step forward, gazing towards Rogue. "I suppose I cannot blame you for your actions, in the end. You killed Natsu, however, it is out of your own foolish assumption that you can alter fate. Perhaps I should show you just how strong our destinies can be."

Rogue laughed at Zeref's words, shaking his head in amusement. "I am not weak, black wizard! Unlike you, I have the resolve needed to change history. I will rewrite the past of this world, and end Acnologia once and for all."

A loud roar echoed through the area around them, leaving Zeref smiling over at Rogue. "I do not believe so, for you have angered far more than just me," Zeref commented. "You see, if you understood all of the plans in place surrounding Acnologia, you never would have attempted to slay the dragon slayers of this era."

"This cannot be! Who is responsible for this act? Which of you has defied my wishes and slain my son?" a booming voice stated, echoing throughout the sky. Natsu froze by Zeref's side, turning towards his left at the voice.

"Igneel…?" Natsu questioned, but Zeref shook his head.

"I suppose he would be Igneel of the future, not the Igneel you are searching for," Zeref explained.

The dragon slayer's fists were clenched tightly by his sides, glaring out in the distance as the red dragon took to the skies. "I don't care if he's the Igneel from the future, past, or present, he's still Igneel and I've got a few things to say to him," Natsu insisted, looking determined as Igneel neared both of them.

The red dragon stopped, seeing Natsu on the back of Motherglare by Zeref's side. "Igneel, it has been some time. I am sorry for Natsu's death, it was never my intention to allow such a thing to occur," Zeref stated calmly, gazing over at Rogue. "Someone has stolen the power of Eclipse, and now, there is only one way to reverse these events."

Igneel nodded, glancing between Zeref and Natsu with a wary expression. "Where did this dragon come from? He isn't…I didn't bring him…" Rogue questioned, looking overwhelmed with the mystery he was presented with.

"Igneel came through the gate with Natsu." Zeref said calmly, watching the current Natsu step closer to Igneel.

"Dad…I've finally found you. Now all that's left is for you to tell me where I can find you in my time, so we can go train some more," Natsu stated with a slight smile. "After all, I've gotten a lot stronger since you left, but I know you still have more to teach me."

Igneel gave Natsu a sad smile, shaking his head slightly. "Natsu…I'm sorry, but you are not yet ready to learn the truth. Know that I am always looking out for you, wherever your path may bring you. Should you ever truly be in need of my strength, I will come, that is a promise I will always keep."

Natsu did not look happy with the answer, frowning as he gazed at Igneel. "Come on, I've been looking for you for years! I'm not going to just let you go away that easily," he declared, but the dragon was focused on Zeref.

"I shall handle the gate for us. I assume you have no issue with its destruction?" Igneel asked, making Natsu look even more agitated over being ignored.

He turned towards Zeref, looking rather upset for a moment. "Wait…you knew Igneel this entire time? Come on, does everyone know where you are but me?" he complained.

Rogue glanced at him, looking a bit amazed at Natsu's tendency to exaggerate simple things like this. "I do believe it is only Zeref that knows his location…" he commented quietly, though it went unnoticed to the fire dragon slayer.

"I never once claimed to not know of Igneel. As far as his location goes, it is imperative that it remains hidden from the world," Zeref commented, gazing towards Natsu calmly. "It is necessary, for there is one thing Rogue is not lying about. Acnologia will destroy this world one day, if he is not stopped."

Natsu focused on Zeref, nodding slowly in agreement. "Alright…I'll go along with this, for now. But I'm not letting you stay missing for long, Dad. I promise, I'll keep fighting to get strong enough to defeat Acnologia myself, that way, you won't have to hide anymore and we can go back to our old lives together," Natsu insisted, turning back towards Igneel.

The fire dragon smiled at Natsu, pleased with his agreement to the plan. "Igneel, that gate has existed for far too long. I have no need to be reminded of my past, so there is no issue with destroying it once and for all," Zeref stated calmly.

With a nod, Igneel turned and flew off, his speed increasing as he charged towards the gate. "What is he doing? Do you truly think a single dragon can stop all that I've put in place for the past?" Rogue asked.

Zeref nodded, turning towards Rogue with a neutral expression on his face. "So long as the gate does not exist in this era, it will not exist in your future. Thusly, time will correct itself for the error, bringing you back to your alternative timeline that will never cross paths with our lives again."

Rogue's eyes widened, his gaze turning towards Igneel. "Motherglare, stop him! I order you, take down Igneel and protect our future," he ordered.

The massive dragon turned, growling under her breath but not moving forward. "Did you truly think you could convince a dragon to take on one of their kings in battle? Igneel is far more powerful than you think, and Motherglare is aware of just how unlikely it is for her to succeed with your plan," Zeref told him, seeing the man glare at him, rage in his face.

"If I cannot stop Igneel, then I shall at least succeed in ending you," Rogue stated, sending a massive wave of light and shadow towards Zeref. They were created in the forms of small blades, dancing around his body and tearing up his skin. The force sent Zeref stumbling back, towards the edge of the dragon's back where Zeref's foot slipped, leaving him falling off of Motherglare.

Natsu rushed over to the side of the dragon, grabbing Zeref's hand with a determined look on his face. "Natsu?" Zeref questioned, seeing the boy pulling him back onto the dragon.

"I may not have liked you at first, but you seem alright to me now. I mean, you are helping out, and that's all that matters in the end," he insisted.

Zeref nodded, giving him a small smile. "I see, so that is why your future self accepted me so easily. You have a strange way of viewing the world, Natsu, one that I wish others would learn from."

Natsu gave him a grin, turning back towards Rogue after a moment. "Yeah, well, right now you're reminding me of a friend of mine. Maybe I'll feel differently once you put some clothes on." he commented, making Zeref frown. "Either way, I think it's time for us to show this guy what Fairy Tail's all about. Are you feeling up for it, Zeref?"

The black wizard was a bit startled to be included as a part of that guild, one that he never imagined having a larger part in. Still, he gave the boy a slight nod, focusing once more on Rogue as his smile faded away. "Of course. It seems as if he is truly lacking in understanding of this world. For his sins, I will show him what true darkness looks like."

Rogue took a step back, sensing the strong magic building within the black wizard who stood across from him. Igneel had just arrived at the Eclipse Gate in the distance, slashing at it with his claws and tearing it apart. As a result, Motherglare was slowly falling towards the ground, her body dematerializing in this world. "Do not be afraid, for your future will no longer exist. As painful as this may be, there will be no memory of this even left in your mind," Zeref stated calmly, his eyes flashing red once more.

Natsu looked alarmed, unsure of what to do as the black wizard created a strange dark cloud in his hand, not quite as solid as his orb had been. This one was more like flames, dancing around with less control as Zeref threw it towards Rogue, letting the darkness collide with his already vanishing figure. "Zeref, he's already been defeated! There's no need for you to—" Natsu began, moving closer to the black wizard who shot him a dark look.

"There is a need for him to learn his lesson, for the pain he has caused others," Zeref said darkly. His gaze turned back towards Rogue, harsh and unforgiving as his dark cloud encircled around the wizard further. Rogue gasped in pain, grimacing as his body writhed on the ground, still fading away slowly. "In turn, I shall bring you the same despair you wished to give to me. Learn this well, while I may seem calm at times, it is very easy to anger me. Do not kill anyone I know, for you never truly know if I value their lives or not."

Natsu's gaze focused on Zeref, narrowing his eyes before flames danced around his body. "You may be on our side…but this is no what we do," he stated, focusing on Zeref. "If you don't stop this now, I will stop you. This Rogue made a mistake, and if you can't forgive him for something as small as that, how can you expect anyone to forgive you for the things you have done?"

The black wizard froze at those words, his magic fading as his eyes widened, focusing back on Natsu behind him. Motherglare was nearly completely gone, as was Rogue in front of him. "I…is such a thing truly possible?" Zeref asked, looking over towards the others nearby. They had landed near the ruins of the Eclipse Gate, and wizards gazed at both of them with fear in their eyes. "My past…the world has always rejected me for it. Natsu, is there truly anyone in this world who would do otherwise?"

The dragon slayer nodded, his face serious as his flames slowly died down. "There's always a place for everyone in the world. Forgiveness is hard to earn, but if you truly want to change, I'll personally help you figure out what to do. After all, Igneel seemed to trust you, and future me did the same from what I've heard," he stated.

Zeref let his hands fall, no longer in the mood to cause more destruction. Instead, he focused on Natsu, giving the dragon slayer the first real smile he had felt in almost a century. He was not happy, not quite yet, but this was the closest he had been to that emotion since before Mavis died. Perhaps if he continued working with Natsu, he could obtain that happiness completely, and alter his destiny to one he had never thought to be possible.

 **And that's the end of the Eclipse arc! What do you guys think? Feel free to review and let me know!**


	16. Chapter 16

**Disclaimer:** I am not the owner of Fairy Tail

The people of Crocus were uncertain of how to react when Zeref stood before them. Lucy, Wendy, and Yukino were still gathered before the ruins of the Eclipse Gate, with Hisui and Arcadios on the other side of the destruction. Igneel had faded away along with the other dragons, leaving Natsu a bit distant as his mind focused on his absent father. Zeref was focused, but he had no idea what to do now. The threat was gone, and he no longer had a goal in mind to obtain. Neo Eclipse had been a brilliant idea, and he may still continue moving forward with that plan, but for now, he had just lost his biggest asset to that plan.

Others were slowly beginning to move towards this area, curious to see what had happened to end their impossible battle. "I…I suppose there is little else for me to accomplish here," Zeref said at last, trying to break the silence of the growing crowd.

Wizards were behind him, most of them unsure of who he truly was. A group of only female wizards stood to one side, with a woman with long black hair standing in front as their leader. Next to them, the familiar faces of Sabertooth's wizards stood. Rogue and Sting were in front of their other members, standing confidently before the black wizard. Beside them were other members of Fairy Tail finally joining in. Finally, completing the group cutting off Zeref's path to leave this city were the wizards of Lamia Scale and Blue Pegasus.

"With the dragons gone, I thought we'd go out celebrating. What's with all the long faces?" Sting asked, glancing around with a frown at the small group in front of them.

Zeref avoided his gaze, turning towards the woman behind him. "Uh…that's kind of hard to explain…" Lucy mumbled, looking nervously over at Zeref.

"Hey Gray, it looks like your soulmate is here! Why don't you both go put on some clothes?" someone else shouted out, making Zeref sigh.

Natsu seemed to focus on their words, glancing over towards his comrades with a slight grin. "Yeah right, he's nothing like Gray," he insisted, startling Zeref when the dragon slayer wrapped an arm over his shoulders carelessly. "He's a hell of a lot more fun to hang out with than that ice princess."

"Natsu…I would not advise standing so close to me," Zeref said quietly, seeing the dragon slayer frown at him. "I may have grown to understand how to contain my curse, but that does not mean I have mastered the act of doing so."

"Wait…now I recognize you. That's Zera's real face, the girl from Jellal's guild who was joining us in the Grand Magic Games," Laxus stated with a grin, stepping forward. "I guess you just ran and hid behind Natsu when the real fight broke out, didn't you?"

Natsu shook his head, glaring over at Laxus. "No way, Zeref was fighting right by my side! If it wasn't for him, we never would have figured out how to stop that bastard from destroying us all!"

Zeref flinched slightly at his words, aware that no one had heard of his identity quite yet. "Did he just say Zeref?" Lyon asked, his eyes wide as he stared at the wizard in front of them.

Laxus frowned at the black wizard, laughing in amusement. "Yeah right, there's no way this little weakling could be the legendary Black Wizard," he insisted.

"I side with Laxus. Zeref perished about four hundred years ago, even if his legacy still affects us today," Kagura stated, the members of her guild nodding in agreement.

Zeref stared at them, frowning as even more people joined in the debate. "His darkness isn't nearly strong enough for the black wizard," Rogue insisted, while Sting nodded, his arms crossed over his chest.

Behind them, even the Exceed seemed to be in agreement. "Yeah, if Zeref really were alive, Sting would have found and destroyed him already. No one is more powerful than Sting!" Lector insisted with a grin, while Frosch stood by his side, smiling as he nodded in agreement.

"Believe what you will, I will make no attempt to argue against your beliefs," Zeref told them, seeing Natsu moving to argue back against them. "Natsu, this belongs to you," he added, holding out the black scarf that he had once had wrapped around his neck.

The dragon slayer stared at it, frowning in confusion. "Wait…I already have my scarf…where did you…?" he began.

Zeref glanced over towards the rubble, where Future Natsu's body had faded away. "Dragon scales are quite useful for deterring magical attacks. Even my magic cannot break through their defense, and when it comes into contact with them, it is absorbed," Zeref began to explain. "Even in that form, my magic is still quite harmful, and it would have hindered your ability to fight. You had me hold onto the scarf until you were finished…however, you did not return as you had once planned."

Zeref's gaze was sad, staring at the ground with the scarf now loosely gripped in his hand. "I still wish to keep my promise, though. I promised to return this scarf to you, so I shall do just that."

"Hold on a second, I have a question to ask him myself," someone else stated, coming forward from the crowd. "You said you weren't going to argue against us, but you never gave us an answer as to who you really are. So, are you going to agree with Natsu? Are you Zeref?" the black haired boy demanded, his shirt missing with his arms crossed over his chest.

Zeref paused, seeing that Natsu was still not reaching to take the scarf back. "Come on, would I really lie about something like that? This was the guy on Tenrou Island, I swear he's Zeref!" Natsu insisted, turning towards the black wizard. "Oh, and you can keep the scarf. A black scarf really throws off the color scheme of my outfit."

Zeref nodded, wrapping it back around his neck before turning towards Gray. "I will not lie to you and claim to be someone I am not. However, once I give you my name, I will not be able to take it back. Are you willing to accept the answer, regardless of what it may be?" Zeref asked him, seeing the boy turn his gaze towards the ground, his hands clenching into fists by his sides.

"I…I don't have a choice. My family…my teacher….they were all killed by the same demon. Deliora…a monster created by Zeref. If you really are him, I'm not going to just stand back and let you walk out of here without a fight," he insisted.

Zeref frowned, glancing back towards the rubble calmly. "I see, it is quite a valid reason to fight. However, in the end, such a battle would be pointless. We've just accomplished a great feat, surviving a dragon attack. Few can claim to be so lucky, and it seems more like a time to celebrate, rather than a time to seek more pointless battles."

Gray did not look happy with Zeref's lack of a response, still silently waiting for Zeref to truly give his name. "Deliora was one of my weaker creations, seeking far more destruction than any other. His mind…it was not as fully developed as my later creations, and I suppose that is what led to so much pain and suffering for those who met the demon. To answer your question, I am Zeref, and I am responsible for the birth of the demon that destroyed so many you cared about."

Gray's eyes widened, the air around him growing colder as his magic reacted to his emotional state. Lyon joined Gray, staring over at Zeref with focused eyes. "You…you're really the one that did this? You took away…you took away my life's ambition. All I ever wanted to do was surpass her…to be a greater wizard that Ur….yet you made that dream impossible," he stated, his magic adding into Gray's anger.

Even Juvia joined them, her gaze harsh and unforgiving. "You have harmed my beloved Gray. Juvia shall not let you get away with such evil deeds!" she declared, water appearing in her hands.

Zeref took a step back, closing his eyes and letting his head fall forward. His hair hung down over his face, hiding the pained look in his eyes as they all began to turn on him. "What are you guys doing? Can't you see that he was only trying to help?" Natsu demanded, glaring at the other wizards.

They were not listening to reason, however. Each wizard here seemed to now finally believe that this was the real black wizard, and all of them found a reason to hate him. "I should have known…" Zeref whispered, closing his eyes as something dark rose within him. This was the feeling that drove him to forget the value of life, the strong anger that made him destroy Hades for bringing Acnologia to that peaceful island. "It always ends the same. I am destined to be rejected by the world. Now, I have a new purpose. If this world continues to reject me, then I shall reject the world."

His eyes had flashed red, his stance changing as he prepared to lash out at the wizards who were just beginning to throw attacks his way. Water from Juvia's spells sliced into his skin, cutting him before his body healed almost immediately. Gray and Lyon's ice creations surrounded him, the living ones attacking and tearing into him with their teeth and claws while Gray's creations simply threw his body around. Lightning flashed out towards him, a sign that Laxus joined in the battle against the black wizard.

Shadow and light danced around the corners of his vision as Sting and Rogue began battling as well. It slowly grew into a chaos of all kinds of magic, so many that Zeref could not identify all of them. His body was in pain, yet he still did not die even as he was torn apart faster than anyone else could imagine. Magic was building up within him in response to his anger, and he was very intent on unleashing it when one thing stopped him from doing so.

"Stop it!" a voice called out, making him see a flash of blond hair as someone rushed to stand in front of him. A bolt of lightning from Laxus came flying towards Zeref, colliding with Lucy instead and sending her body crashing against the black wizard's. Zeref stayed on the ground as she got up, seeing her grimace in pain as she stood before her friends. "Is this really how we react to someone who just risked his life to protect us?"

"My life was not at risk; it is quite impossible for it to end as far as I am aware," Zeref stated calmly, correcting her mistake. Still, he did not know what to make of this girl protecting him, even if it was just to prevent him from feeling more pain.

Yukino moved to stand by her side, while Lucy glanced back at him with a slightly irritated look. "You're not really helping me, you know," she told him, focusing back on the other wizards. "Even if he can't die…Zeref still came to stop the Eclipse Gate. In fact, he's been trying to do so every year for the past seven years, while we were all stuck on that island. Is that really what a villain would do? Can you really continue fighting him like this, and still live with yourselves?"

Yukino nodded in agreement, glancing back at Zeref with a small smile. "My sister…I lost her because of a cult who worshipped Zeref," she began, making Zeref turn away, avoiding her gaze. It was quite common for wizards to do such things, though he never once wished for it to occur. "Even so, I know that it wasn't his fault. Zeref is the reason I was strong enough to join Sabertooth. He gave me the best friends I ever had, when I didn't even know his name. He may have done some terrible things in the past, but I've seen how he's changed. Zeref might seem strange to us, but from the little bit of time I've spoken with him, I know he'll fight for what's right."

"Of course he will! Zeref was just talking about all of these plans to defeat Acnologia," Natsu added with a grin, making Zeref frown slightly.

"Plans to defeat Acnologia? But none of us could even kill a single dragon!" Sting commented, looking shocked. "How did you plan on accomplishing that?"

Gazing away, Zeref debated how much he truly could say about the matter. Igneel wished to keep it secret, until the day came to initialize their plan. "I…it is complicated, I suppose. To put it in the simplest of terms, Eclipse was finalized as a countermeasure against Acnologia. I cannot reveal more at this time, for I am not the only one involved in this plan," Zeref said at last.

"Are…are you telling me that the Eclipse Cannon truly was possible? I mean…we put all of our hope into that plan…" Hisui asked from behind Zeref, making the black wizard turn towards her with a sigh.

He shook his head slowly, locking his gaze on hers. "Eclipse is a gate through time. Regardless of how much magical energy it stores, it cannot be used as a weapon," he commented.

The other wizards still seemed confused about it, but they did not ask any more questions. Perhaps they would have, if it were not for the two people shoving their way through the crowd, dressed in dark robes that covered their faces from the public. "Excuse us, we need to speak with him. This is an urgent matter that could endanger us all," a male voice stated from under one of the hoods.

Zeref glanced at them with a frown, not bothering to move as Meredy kneeled down and wrapped one of their guild's cloaks around his back. It was something at least, leaving him wearing a cloak along with the scarf. "The dragons are gone, as is Eclipse. There is no need for us to battle, for my desires have now been changed."

Jellal locked his gaze on Zeref, narrowing his eyes. "Perhaps, though I do believe you may be able to aid us yet. What do you know of the dark guilds in this kingdom?" he asked.

Zeref nearly rolled his eyes, wondering why so many people assumed he was a part of those guilds. "I have never once been a part of such a guild, regardless of their interest in me. They cause far too much pain to the world, and I did not wish to join them in that endeavor."

Meredy looked upset, glancing over at Jellal with a sigh. "Man, I guess this was a waste of time. Now what are we going to do about the warning we heard about Tartaros?" she asked.

Zeref froze at that name, glancing over at her with wide eyes. "Tartaros? They are here?" he asked.

Jellal seemed to smile at his words, standing up and reaching out to help Zeref to his feet. "Of course not, though I heard a rumor that they would be doing something in the near future," Jellal stated. "You could benefit us all, if you can even tell us anything about their guild. No one has ever managed to make locate them, and the few that have met one of their members all perished before reporting back to the Council. They are a true dark guild, a mystery to us all."

Zeref didn't meet his eyes, looking over at Lyon and Gray with a sad expression on his face. "It has been a long time since I've heard about them…I thought they had vanished to research ways to awaken…" he began, trailing off at the end. They were his greatest creations, and as such, his greatest sin. If they succeeded in awakening his most powerful demon, END, he would perhaps be killed, but so would most of the world. Before, he would not have cared if such a thing occurred, but now, he had the potential to live peacefully here. Even the wizards who had just been attacking him were now hesitant to move harmfully against him.

"If you're feeling sorry for us, don't. We came to terms with our pasts long ago, Zeref," Gray stated, seeing the black wizard's gaze continue to focus on them. "I don't care how terrible this mistake of yours was. If you think we can stop it and make it right, tell us now so we can at least know what we're fighting against."

Zeref nodded, gazing back at Jellal. "Tartaros is not simply a guild, Jellal. In fact, I would not call a single member of Tartaros a wizard in any aspect," he commented, seeing confusion flash across his face. "All of you are aware that my past includes a time of experimentation with my magic…a time when I created demons that wreaked havoc on the world," he began, seeing a few people nod in agreement, frowning in concern.

Lyon and Gray shared a look, nodding and focusing back on Zeref as they took a step closer. "That's in the past. I trust Natsu, and if he says you're trying to change, I'll believe him and give you a chance," Gray insisted.

"Some of them remained independent, like Deliora," Zeref explained, turning towards the others. "A few of them gathered, however, with one goal in mind. They were the ones that were aware of their reason for existence, my true desire when I first began creating such creatures."

"What reason could you possibly have for creating such horrible monsters?" Lucy demanded, sounding horrified at the thought.

Zeref focused on the celestial wizard, his expression collected before replying. "I wished to die," he said calmly, seeing many people look stunned at his admission. "I may have created one demon capable of accomplishing this goal of mine…but then I began to understand how valuable life was. If I ever unleashed END upon the world, the destruction would be far greater than anything I've done thus far. Instead, I kept his power sealed away, in a book that is in the possession of Tartaros."

Jellal's eyes widened, looking fearful of this idea. Natsu stood next to him, looking eager as a grin spread across his face. "Alright, looks like we just gotta beat them up and get this book back for you," he insisted.

"It will not be simple, especially when you realize that Tartaros is made solely of demons I created," Zeref stated.

"Then we'll train first. Help me get stronger, so I can beat these demons of yours," Natsu stated, kneeling in front of Zeref. The black wizard blinked a few times, unsure of if he could believe in the dragon slayer's words quite yet. "I told you before, I'm gonna help you change your future, Zeref. That means we're gonna be partners for a while, so I can keep a close eye on what your'e doing."

"Wait, you agreed to do _what?"_ Gray demanded.

Lyon looked just as shocked, staring at him as if he were insane. "Helping the black wizard…even in my darkest moments, I never once thought of doing such a stupid thing."

"If we are being honest, Jellal and I have been helping him for the past seven years," Meredy said uncomfortable, glancing over at Zeref. "We didn't realize it…but it was still what happened. Even when we learned the truth, Jellal did not stop trying to help him. We could see that he really did want to prevent the Eclipse Gate from being used, and also…well, I don't really know how to explain what happened…"

Jellal nodded at her, turning around to the other wizards behind him. "Meredy attempted to kill Zeref using a sensory link between herself and the black wizard. He is not lying about his claim to immortality, for I have seen his power in action," he insisted. Others seemed to share looks of agreement, having seen his incredible healing abilities for themselves just now. "In addition, there is another fact about him that history has ignored. Zeref's magic, the very thing that brings us all so much fear, is a curse that has been placed upon him. Meredy's sensory link allowed her to feel that, and for just a brief moment, obtain that curse for herself."

Yukino gazed over at Zeref, concern in her eyes. "A curse? Is that why…I mean, you seemed so sad before," she commented.

"If he's got a problem with a curse, I'll just burn it away!" Natsu added with a grin, flames dancing in his palms.

Lucy smacked his arm, looking irritated wit the dragon slayer while Zeref watched quietly, unsure of what to say about his own power being revealed. "That isn't how these things work, you idiot! All you'll end up doing is burning him," the celestial wizard insisted.

Zeref focused his gaze on Natsu, however, focusing on that strong magical power within the dragon slayer. The black wizard could handle Tartaros on his own, however, he did need something to do to pass his time. He still longed for an end to his life, and Natsu was his best chance for doing so. Even if he had control over his curse, Zeref had tired of life centuries ago. "My curse is my business, Jellal, and I have had centuries to learn how to understand it," Zeref began, seeing the blue haired wizard nod in acknowledgment.

"Natsu, if you truly wish to gain more power, I shall help you train," Zeref stated calmly, gazing around at the others. "Tartaros will still be on their way. I shall handle them when they arrive. I will have someone monitor their location and inform me when they make their first move."

"Wait, do you honestly think we'll just let you leave?" Arcadios demanded, rising to his feet and pulling out his sword. "Even if you've helped stop Eclipse, even if you have gained forgiveness from a few wizards, that does not change your crimes. I will bring you to justice, regardless of the threat to my own life."

Zeref gazed at him calmly, standing still and turning only his head to look back at the knight. "Is that so? Tell me, what crimes have you committed?" Zeref asked, seeing the knight frown, his eyes a bit wider. "Eclipse is dark magic, my own creation from the past. Not only have you utilized it, you have also nearly destroyed your entire city and the royal family as a result. Now, you are threatening my life, and doing that…well, I suppose you could risk starting a war with one of the most powerful kingdoms of the world."

Arcadios took a step back, looking shocked at the announcement. Hisui rose to her feet, standing by his side with a determined look on her face. "What is that supposed to mean, black wizard? Just what nation are you allied with?" she demanded.

Zeref glanced over at Natsu, seeing the fire wizard standing tense before them. He was willing to fight by his side, something that surprised Zeref. Few would ally themselves with someone who practiced such dark magic, and he knew that he could utilize Natsu's power for himself one day. "I had nearly forgotten…to be honest, it was simply a project I started to make use of my time. It is a far more peaceful place to begin Natsu's training, so I suppose I will not be seeing any of you for quite some time."

Natsu blinked at him in surprise, looking startled. "Wait, we're leaving here? That's not what I wanted. I've got my friends here, and I'm a part of Fairy Tail!" he insisted.

Zeref glanced over at Natsu, shrugging without concern. "Stay if you wish, it is your decision in the end. I have spent far too much time away as it is, it is about time I returned," Zeref commented.

Natsu debated for a moment, glancing over at the other wizards of his guild. "I…I'm going with you," he said at last. "I made you a promise, and it would look bad on Fairy Tail if I broke that promise. If leaving Magnolia is what it takes to get stronger, I'll do it, but I want you to promise me something in return. We will return to Fairy Tail soon, and we're not going to stop until we've destroyed all of those demons you created."

Zeref gaze at Natsu, giving him a small smile as he held his hand out to the fire wizard. "Of course, Natsu. In the end, it is my responsibility to take care of the things I created. After all, I do not think I will have much use for them anymore," Natsu grabbed Zeref's hand, nodding in agreement with a grin. He waved out towards his other guild members as a magic circle appeared at their feet, Zeref's creation to teleport them far away from this place. They left Crocus, leaving wizards wondering just how long Natsu would be gone, and where he could have possibly gone with the dark wizard. In the end, it was the first and last time the nation would ever have the chance to capture Zeref, and it became clear that they had lost their upper hand with his disappearance once more.

 **And here's the aftermath of Zeref's identity being revealed. I feel as if I may have made Gray's change in opinion be a bit too sudden...but I still can't see him getting angry and fighting so hard against a man who isn't defending himself either. What are your thoughts on the matter? Feel free to review and let me know!**


	17. Chapter 17

**Disclaimer:** I am not the owner of Fairy Tail

Zeref and Natsu appeared in a massive city, one that was unfamiliar to the dragon slayer but well-known to Zeref. The black wizard stood calmly in the main street of Vistarion. People were walking by, busy with their everyday lives as buildings lined each side of the street, tall and built to lead up towards the castle in the distance. Lights lined the street he was on, leading towards a bridge that connected with the castle.

Natsu gazed around at the sights with a frown, before Zeref stepped forward with a focused expression on his face. Guards were scattered on each street in these cities to enforce laws, and every one of them knew his face. One such guard froze at the sight of him, his eyes widening as sweat beaded on his cheeks, visible even with the helmet on his face. "Emperor Spriggan….Make way, our emperor has returned!" he called out, announcing it towards the people of the street.

Natsu blinked over at Zeref in surprise, confusion on his face as the citizens of the city all rushed to the sides of the street. A path was cleared for both of them, allowing them to pass by the huge skyscrapers lining the streets and make their way towards the castle. One of the guards, however, looked suspicious of the boy by Zeref's side. He stepped closer, his sword being drawn from his belt as he did so. The guard held it out towards Natsu threateningly, halting his path and making Zeref turn back with a slight frown.

The dragon slayer glared at the guard, clearly annoyed already. "What the hell is going on? I don't know who you are, but if you want a fight—" Natsu began, but Zeref moved to interrupt, pushing the guard away from the dragon slayer and standing between the two before a fight could break out.

"Stand down, this is a companion of mine." Zeref insisted, glaring over at the guard whose eyes slowly began to widen in fear. "Natsu is not to be harmed during his stay with me. He is an honored guest and as such, he will always be welcome in my castle. Be sure to inform the others, or I shall be quite upset with the next person to assault him."

"Yes, my lord! I apologize for the mistake, I assure you, it will not happen again," he insisted. The guard's gaze flickered over to Natsu, who looked just as dazed by the interaction now that Zeref had intervened. "Please, forgive me for my mistake, sir. I had no idea that you were held in such high regard by our emperor."

Natsu blinked a few times, before getting a rather disturbing grin on his face. "Why, of course I am! I am the great Lord Dragneel, all who witness my power cower in fear," he stated a bit darkly, making the guard quiver even more in fear.

Zeref sighed at his actions, grabbing Natsu's arm and pulling him away from the guard. "Enough, Natsu. This is not the time for games," he insisted. It was amusing to watch, especially since it had been a long time since he enjoyed observing humans interact with each other. Natsu had a unique way of entertaining Zeref, and he was not used to being near someone like the dragon slayer.

Natsu smiled over at his companion, laughing off his own joke. "Sorry, I couldn't resist! After all, these people are acting crazy already, calling you an emperor and such. That's about as realistic as me being a lord," he insisted.

Zeref gave Natsu a small smile, wondering just how he would react to the truth. "Actually, I am the emperor of this empire," Zeref stated, watching the dragon slayer freeze on the bridge, staring at Zeref with wide eyes.

"What? That's….since when is the Black Wizard the emperor of a kingdom? How the hell did you manage to do something like that without anyone hearing about it?" Natsu demanded, clearly unsure of how this had worked out.

Zeref continued moving on, with the dragon slayer now hurrying to catch up after his outburst. "It was quite simple, actually. I had quite a bit of time on my hands, and I needed to find something to occupy myself."

Natsu stared at Zeref as if he were insane. "You know, most people would start a game or find a job if they were bored," he commented. "Man, you had to have been crazy to think that starting an _empire_ was a good way to spend your time."

"No, I suppose a normal person would not have made the same choice," Zeref commented, gazing around him at the sight of his massive castle. "However, I was far from normal when I first came to conquer these lands and assume control. I had just been cursed, and as such, I needed something else to focus my mind on if I wished to avoid killing everything in sight wherever I went."

Natsu glanced over at Zeref, nodding as his smile faded into a concerned frown. "Yeah, about that. You haven't really spoken much about this curse of yours. Just what is it anyway?"

Zeref glanced over at him, looking a bit withdrawn as his eyes grew distant. "Right, I suppose I never did speak to you of it. The version of you that came from the future already understood my curse, and I suppose I simply grew used to the idea that you were aware of how it functioned," he began. Natsu nodded, waiting for him to go on as they neared the doors of the castle. "It goes by two different names, depending on your beliefs and what era your research is coming from. More commonly, it is known as the Curse of Contradictions, though it has also been called Ankhseram's Curse. Along with granting me my immortality, it is what gives me my powerful death magic. The more I value life, the more I am forced to take it away, however, if I completely forget that life holds value, I gain complete control of this magic."

Natsu stared at Zeref as the black wizard focused on his own hands, closing one of them into a fist as he thought about his own power. "That doesn't make any sense to me. If that's how it works, how did you form an empire and rule it without killing everybody? Do you not care about the people here?" he demanded.

"I suppose it depends on how you look at it," Zeref said after a few moments of thought, pushing open the gates of his castle and moving inside. Stone pillars lined the entrance hall, with massive windows on both sides of them, visible in between the pillars. The floor itself was stone as well, the white surface of rock smooth underneath their feet. "This empire was simply a game for me, if you will. The people here are like pawns in my mind, usable in a game of chess if I feel there is something I desire strong enough to fight for. They hold value, however, their lives mean little to me. It is only their power that I focus on, and that prevents my curse from affecting them."

Natsu frowned at Zeref, looking upset with that idea. "That…I mean, they're your comrades, aren't they?" he asked. Zeref wasn't sure if they were or not, considering he had not truly spent much time with the people here. "I get that it's hard with your curse, but there has to be a way for you to make friends, to find people to care about. It isn't right, going through life like that, using people like pawns when their lives have meaning. Just because you don't see it doesn't mean it isn't true."

Zeref gave Natsu a small smile, passing through an archway that led into a much larger room. Inside was a massive circular table, with tall chairs surrounding it. Each chair was empty, however, there was a guard posted within who saw Zeref and nodded. When Zeref came to this room, it was usually to call a meeting with the Spriggan Twelve, or at least, with the members that remained in the capital at the time. "I am aware of that fact, and recently, I have come to see a possible way around my curse," Zeref stated, glancing over at Natsu. "If I value death as well as life, in essence, I cancel out my own curse with a contradiction of my own. My magic is unsure of if it should be unleashed, because while I do desire things to live, I would also not care if they perished." Zeref glanced away, looking uncomfortable as he sat down at the table. "At least, that is the theory thus far. It is challenging, holding onto that belief, but I am learning to focus on it as time goes on."

Natsu patted his back with a grin, standing next to his chair. "Well, it's a start at least. I'm rather impressed. I didn't think you'd be so smart about stuff like this. I mean, sure you've got that reputation for dark magic and stuff, but curses are a bit hard for any wizard to understand," he insisted.

Zeref would not claim to be an expert on all curses, but he did know his own quite well. "I suppose they would be. In the end, curses are not meant to be broken by any other than the caster, and mine has been cast by the gods themselves. Mere wizards would never be able to undo such a thing, and appealing to a god is unheard of," Zeref stated calmly, watching as the side door to the meeting room opened.

"I see you've returned, your majesty. The others will be joining us shortly." a short man with wavy white hair stated. He had a beard growing on his chin, and he did appear to be quite old. Natsu stared at him, sniffing the air slightly with a frown before crossing his arms over his chest.

"Who the hell is this guy?" Natsu demanded, while the man turned towards Natsu, not even blinking at the dragon slayer's harsh tone.

"It appears we have a stranger in the room. Is he to assist us in our plans to obtain Fairy Heart?" he asked, focusing his words towards Zeref.

The black wizard hastily moved on from the topic, not wishing to divulge information on such a spell to Natsu yet. "No, as of right now, I have lost interest in obtaining that power. August, this is Natsu Dragneel, a dragon slayer with far more potential than any wizard I've yet to face," Zeref stated calmly.

August gazed at Natsu, nodding in agreement before taking his seat next to Zeref at the table. "I see. Is he to join our ranks soon? His power is not yet equal to that of the others, but if he continues to train, he very well might surpass even one such as Irene."

Zeref nodded in agreement, smiling over at the man. "Natsu has not given me any indication as to whether or not he wishes to be a part of this empire, however, he does wish to grow stronger. I see no reason not to train him, especially if he decides he wishes to remain with us one day."

Natsu blinked at Zeref, narrowing his eyes. "No way, I'm not leaving Fairy Tail! I told you before—" he began, but Zeref held up a hand to cut off his words.

"I will not break my promise, Natsu, I simply spoke the truth." Zeref stated. "Within you, I sense a massive amount of magical energy just waiting to be released. Even after obtaining your second origin, that potential for growth still remained. Here, I plan on seeing just how close to your full power we can bring you, and with the help of the Spriggan Twelve, I will push your magic to its limits."

Natsu frowned, taking a seat on the other side of Zeref to continue speaking. "I don't get it. Why didn't you bring the others here too then? I mean, if I've got so much potential, wouldn't you want to train the other dragon slayers too?" he asked.

Zeref frowned at this, glancing over at August with a silent message for his soldier. They needed to investigate this mystery further, because it was a valid point that Natsu had made. "If they had the same potential as you, I would have gladly offered to bring them here. However, you were unique among the wizards I met, the only one with a power strong enough to rival even my own."

August seemed to focus on Natsu after Zeref spoke, leaning back in his chair with his arms resting on the table in front of them. "Interesting…would you be willing to show me your magic? I am curious to see if you truly know something new. After all, I am a master of all magics. It isn't often I find a wizard capable of surprising me," he commented.

Natsu grinned, looking eager to do such a thing, but Zeref gazed harshly over at August, shaking his head. "No, now is not the time for that. Natsu will demonstrate his power later, and begin building is strength against Invel first. Your power will overwhelm him far too quickly, and he will learn nothing from sparring against you." Zeref insisted.

"Come on, I can beat him! How hard could it be to fight against an old man like him?" Natsu demanded, making Zeref sigh and run a hand through his hair. Perhaps this was a mistake, bringing him here. Natsu was too impatient for his training methods, like Yuri had been so long ago. Magic took time and effort to develop, and no one understood the basic concepts behind using it better than Zeref did.

August glanced over at Zeref, leaning forward on the table. "It seems as if he is overconfident in his abilities. Young man, it is always best to know your own weakness before going into battle. Understanding yourself is often the key to victory, regardless of who you find yourself fighting against," August insisted after a few moments, breaking off his eye contact with the black wizard to turn towards Natsu.

"It is easy to make such claims when you know all magics, August." another voice added, coming into the room. A man with square glasses and long white hair pulled into a pony tail walked forward through the door August had come from. "There are many aspects to truly achieving victory in battle, and while understanding oneself is a start, other factors come into play as war goes on."

Zeref glanced over at the newcomer, nodding in acknowledgement to his entrance. Invel gave a slight bow towards Zeref before moving forward, taking his seat across from the emperor to join the discussion. "It has been quite some time, Invel. We were just discussing our newest plans. Natsu is someone I encountered in my recent travels, with great potential to become one of the most powerful wizards this world has ever seen. I believe it is in our best interests to train him and grow that power."

Invel focused on Natsu, frowning as he gaged the boy's power. "Interesting, it appears as if his power is locked away somehow. Have you been looking into what has caused so much of his magical energy to be restricted from his own access?" Invel asked, while Zeref frowned.

He had noticed it before, but thought little of it at the time. The restriction on Natsu's power could have simply come from his own lack of knowledge on how to access it. "I assumed he was wastefully utilizing his energy. Natsu is used to focusing as much power as possible in each attack. While it often is enough to eliminate the enemies he has faced in the past, now, he needs to master control to truly empower his spells to their fullest."

Natsu glared at Zeref, not looking happy with his assessment. "Hey, what's that supposed to mean?" he demanded. "You haven't even seen me fight, what makes you think that I don't have control?"

Zeref smiled over at Natsu, chuckling under his breath. "Perhaps I have not seen you in actual battle, however, I did witness your magic twice. First, when you attempted to destroy me on Tenrou Island. Your attack was well-aimed, and there was a lot of energy expanded in your spell, but much of that energy was lost to the environment when it could have empowered your flames even further. The second time I saw it was during your attack against that man who came from the Eclipse Gate. Once again, you did have a great understanding of the spells and techniques used in your magic, however, your magical energy did not remain focused on maintaining that power."

Natsu glared at the table, leaning back in his seat and crossing his arms over his chest. His head slowly sunk into his scarf, clearing disliking being labeled as weak in front of these people. "He attempted to slay you? Are you sure it is wise to strengthen him, when he is a potential enemy to our empire?" Invel asked, hearing their conversation.

"The longer he stays here, the more attached he will be to our nation. Most people tend to enjoy stability, and will seek to avoid change when possible. I believe it would be best to train him, so we can gain his power as a tool for our future war against—" August began to explain, but Zeref cut him off with a harsh glare.

"August, we are not discussing that matter today." he said harshly, making Invel blink at him in surprise. "As I stated before, my desire to obtain Fairy Heart is no longer as strong as it once was. Instead, I am directing our focus to training Natsu, and only that task. Any other discussions will be had at a later date, with me alone," Zeref insisted.

Natsu frowned, focusing on Zeref as he sat up straighter, pulling himself out of his own distress. "War? Zeref, you aren't seriously planning on fighting against anyone, are you?" Natsu demanded. Zeref remained silent, as did the other wizards at the table, leaving Natsu irritated with them all. "War isn't going to solve anything, Zeref. There isn't some magical cure out there for your curse. You said it yourself, the only way to reverse it is to appeal to the one who gave it to you in the first place. Find a way to appeal to this god who gave it to you, and stop wasting your time on some stupid war plans."

"Silence! Do you truly think you can get away with speaking to our emperor so rashly? I will not stand for such insolence, you foolish boy," Invel stated, rising to his feet with a glare. The temperature in the room seemed to be dropping as he did so, making Zeref focus on Invel before he had much time to think on Natsu's words.

"Invel, I order you to stand down," he declared, watching the winter wizard gaze at him with shock in his eyes. "Natsu is not of our land, therefore, I am not his emperor. In fact, he is a wizard from Ishgar, part of a guild known as Fairy Tail," Zeref told them, eyeing both of them carefully.

August was quite skilled at hiding his emotions, but Invel did not share in that ability. This was why Zeref had timed this announcement with the winter wizard's already stunned reaction, to allow for the information to sink in without alerting Natsu to his true plans. "Natsu, your concerns are noted, however, the plans they are discussing have been put into motion long ago. My desires have changed since I first began searching for the spell known as Fairy Heart, and at the moment, I no longer have any spells to cast that require it for activation. Calm yourself, for if you continue speaking this way here, it is likely that you will find yourself with an enemy of those who will be training you."

Natsu nodded, gazing over at Invel with a frown. "Right, sorry," he grumbled, still focused on the other wizard. "So, you said I'd be training with this guy here, right?" Natsu clarified.

Zeref nodded, seeing Invel calming as well. "That is correct. I do believe his power will prove to be an apt challenge for your flames. Should you grow to be capable of burning through Invel's spells, you will be able to accomplish far more than you ever thought possible with your magic," Zeref insisted.

August nodded in agreement, gazing over at Natsu. "Indeed, I have yet to witness flames powerful enough to withstand the force of the Winter General's power. Perhaps you will show me something new, if you grow to be as powerful as his majesty claims you can be."

Natsu grinned at them all, looking eager to begin despite his uneasy relationship with the strangers he had just met. "Alright, sounds like a plan. Let's get started, because I've been waiting to see just how strong you really are," he insisted. Zeref smiled, rising to his feet and nodding towards Invel, turning to leave towards the training grounds. The other wizards followed suit, Natsu eager to train while Invel was simply not willing to defy his emperor. It was going to be an interesting experience for them, though Zeref knew that Natsu would gain from his time here. In the end, no one could beat the strength of the Spriggan Twelve, and no one could train the dragon slayer better than the most powerful of wizards.

 **And I've got another update ready! In case readers have not noticed, I am somewhat trying to put a focus on completing the stories I have at least gotten a full draft ready for. That way, I can focus more of my time on just writing, rather than writing and revising at the same time for updates. Anyway, reviews are much appreciated! I love hearing what my readers have to think of the stories I write!**


	18. Chapter 18

**Disclaimer:** I am not the owner of Fairy Tail

Zeref was sitting calmly by the wall as Invel and Natsu sparred, writing down notes in a journal as their battle continued on. The training grounds for his castle were quite spacious, consisting of a large room cleared of furniture with equipment hidden away in a closet on one wall. The side walls were completely made of stone, with no windows in sight, while only two doors existed to enter to and from the room. Along the ceiling, light lacrima were placed to give the room illumination, despite the lack of windows allowing sun to shine through.

Next to Zeref was August, speaking quietly under his breath to Zeref. From what the two of them could see of the battle thus far, the dragon slayer was woefully underprepared. Each attack he unleashed was strong and forceful, however, Invel froze it the instant it left his body. Natsu's flames did not have the heat necessary to melt through the winter wizard's power, and that meant he was constantly getting thrown around by ice and snow in the now freezing cold room. "I wished to wait until the boy was occupied to speak with you. There is a reason only Invel and I remain at the capital today." August began.

Zeref nodded, frowning as Natsu unleashed another attack. This one was meant to be a breath attack, usually one of the most powerful yet simple spells in a dragon slayer's arsenal. Even that massive torrent of flames was frozen instantly, leaving Invel smiling in front of the flame wizard. Once more, Natsu was sent flying back when Invel created a lashing whip of snow, stepping closer as the blizzard he had created intensified in their battle.

"Your absence has created a disturbance in some of the guilds of our empire." August stated, glancing towards the battle as well while speaking. "They no longer see a reason to follow your rule if no one is here to enforce those rules. Most of the guilds are usually happy with your laws, but now, it seems as if they desire freedom and are starting to rebel."

Zeref stopped writing notes in his journal, pausing to think. He was planning on monitoring Natsu's progress here, however, this issue with the guilds could pose to be a greater concern than the dragon slayer's power. "I see. I assume the others are handling it?" Zeref asked.

August nodded, his arms crossing over his chest. "Indeed. Nearly fifteen of our guilds have joined in this revolt, which is surprising considering how loyal most are to you. Perhaps we have reached our maximum outreach and can no longer expand our kingdom while retaining control," he insisted.

Zeref frowned, closing his journal as he gazed at the wall across from him, ignoring the flying flames and ice of the battle occurring within the room. "Were these guilds that recently joined our empire?" he asked after a moment.

August nodded, his gaze actually focusing on analyzing the battle. "Yes, most of them come from our recently acquired lands to the north. Our strongest team, Irene, Dimaria, and Brandish, were sent to deal with them. The others went to the west, where the rebellion seems to be spreading. Few have heard about it this far inland, however, it would not surprise me if dissidents arrive to attempt to claim your throne, your majesty," he explained.

"Perhaps it would be best to make a public appearance then. If they see I've returned, few would continue their foolish attempt to fight against me," Zeref mused.

"Things may have progressed too far for such an act to work," August argued, making Zeref turn towards him with a frown. "Even we did not hear rumors of this rebellion until eight guilds had joined in. The cities that have been effected are quite remote, and thusly, their protests went unnoticed by even your most loyal of servants. I humbly apologize for our inability to keep peace in your absence, your majesty. If you wish to punish us, we will gladly bear your wrath for our failure."

Zeref sighed, aware that his elite guard was typically like this. Their loyalty was needed to maintain a kingdom in which he was often absent from, but it could get tedious at times like this. "There is no need for punishment. I am to blame for this. I should not have remained away for quite so long. If I had returned sooner, this could have been prevented," Zeref insisted. "I will begin with a communication from here, announcing my return. Even if it does not stop the rebellion, it will make a small amount of their numbers hesitate and allow us to gain the upper hand once more. Any remaining dissidents will answer to me personally, as I will travel to the outskirts of our kingdom and show them the true power of their emperor."

August frowned, turning towards Natsu and Invel. "What of your pupil? Will he remain here to train while you handle this problem?" he asked.

Zeref smiled, gazing over at Natsu. Perhaps his destructive tendencies could be used to their advantage at the moment. "No, I shall take Natsu with me to handle these rogue wizards. I do believe you and Invel are capable of handling things here in Vistarion."

August nodded, glancing over at his comrade who was halting his most recent attack on Natsu. The dragon slayer was clearly exhausted, breathing heavily from battle and looking even more focused than before as he was continually thwarted at every turn. "We truly are lucky to serve such a merciful emperor. I am grateful for your trust, your majesty, and I will inform Invel of your decision as soon as their sparring has ended," August insisted.

"Damn it, you're even more annoying than Gray. How the hell is this even possible?" Natsu demanded at last, seeing yet another of his attacks frozen in place.

Zeref turned to continue observing their battle, watching Invel stand calmly in front of Natsu with his hands now folded behind his back. "I am the only one capable of laying claim to the title of a true winter mage. Did you think defeating any of the Spriggan Twelve would be easy? We are the strongest wizards of the Alvarez Empire, hand chosen by our emperor to serve and protect him and our nation," Invel argued, narrowing his gaze at the dragon slayer.

Zeref nodded, focusing over on Natsu. "Natsu, your power is great, but you need to learn to focus your energy solely on your flames. Too much of your power is being wasted every time you attack, simply leaving your body and creating heat in the air around you. Focus that heat on your flames, then you may find yourself capable of burning through even Invel's ice," Zeref advised.

The dragon slayer looked irritated, glaring over at Zeref. "You said that before, but that doesn't make any sense! I'm supposed to attack with all my strength, so how the hell is limiting it supposed to help?" he demanded.

Zeref sighed, rising to his feet and setting his notebook aside to walk towards the two wizards. "Limiting it, for now, will help you gain control," Zeref stated calmly. He moved towards the closet, pulling out a small target often used to train their soldiers in archery, though useful for his purposes. "My magical power, much like yours, is immense and hard to channel," he began, nodding towards Invel and August. Both wizards backed away from the black wizard, standing on the far side of the room as Zeref closed his eyes.

Natsu saw what was happening and moved to follow the others, observing Zeref from a distance. This was simply meant to be a demonstration of what his power could truly be, if he unleashed it in the manner Natsu used to fight. A massive cloud of black energy seemed to be surrounding Zeref, swirling in the air and blowing around the room. His hair was flying in the force of it, along with his old robe that was recently obtained during his time at the castle. Even Natsu, Invel, and August were affected by the force of this magic, hardly out of range and capable of sensing just how easy it would be to perish if they were even an inch closer to this storm. "Currently, I am unleashing my magic as you unleash your flames. There is much power in a spell like this, however, as you can see the target still remains intact," Zeref began.

Natsu struggled to locate the target in the storm, flying around the room as if it weighed nothing. Zeref slowly let his magic die off, the target falling to the ground slowly. It was made of a strong plastic, to attempt and show archers how to put force into their attacks and help them penetrate any target they may face. Thusly, being thrown around the room was not enough to destroy it, though scratches could now be seen on its surface. "If I limit the amount of power in my attack, and truly focus it on my target, the result changes," Zeref stated softly, turning back towards the target with his hand raised.

An orb of black magic appeared in his hand, small and focused. Unlike the storm from before, this one was completely under his control, able to be aimed and strengthened at will. With a narrowing of his eyes, Zeref threw his magic at the target. It collided with the surface, a loud snapping echoing throughout the room as it tore through the surface, leaving a massive hole in the center of the training device.

Natsu stared at it with wide eyes, while August and Invel smiled and gave a quiet applause for their emperor. "That was an excellent demonstration, your majesty," August commented with a small smile.

Invel inclined his head, pushing his glasses further up on his face. "I must agree with his statement. It appears that you are still more of a master than any of us will be," he commented, focusing on Zeref with a smile of his own.

"As you can see, sometimes, using less power is often the better strategy of attack. Keep that in mind, Natsu, for it will help you gain the control you need to reach your full potential," Zeref commented, moving over towards the wizards standing next to the wall on the room.

"Shall we continue our sparring match, then? It appears as if our emperor has given you something to focus on while we continue," Invel asked, turning towards Natsu.

Zeref shook his head, moving towards the door before the fire mage could respond. "We have other business to attend to. Invel, for now, I am leaving you and August in charge in the capital. I shall be taking Natsu with me, to Shalir," he stated. That city was right on the border of the kingdom, and even if the guilds he was searching for were not there, he would reach them soon enough from Shalir.

Invel gazed over at Natsu thoughtfully, before nodding and closing his eyes. "If you believe that is best, I shall ensure I perform my duty to its fullest," Invel stated, giving Zeref a slight bow with his arm crossed over his chest.

"Wait, what? Come on, Zeref, why are we leaving again? We only just got to this place, and I've still gotta beat that ice guy!" Natsu complained.

Zeref glanced over at him, raising his eyebrows at the other wizard. "You do realize that this means your next sparring match will be against me, don't you? Perhaps I was mistaken, but I do believe you'd see me as a much bigger challenge than Invel," he commented.

Natsu blinked a few times, before grinning wildly over at Zeref. "Well, then I'm getting all fired up. You better prepare yourself, Zeref, because I'm not going to hold back against you," he insisted.

"I would expect no less, especially since it is clear that you cannot restrict the flow of your magic at this point," Zeref stated calmly, leaving the training room. He was moving through the halls quickly, with Natsu at his feet right behind him. Before leaving, he did have to make his announcement to the empire. "Keep in mind, we are not leaving for a game, however. I have just heard from August that a few of the guilds within this nation are revolting against my rule, due to my long absence. My journey is meant to show them that no one can refuse my laws, regardless of who they are or how powerful they claim to be."

Natsu focused on Zeref, looking unsure of this journey now. "Hey, we aren't going to go around killing people, okay? Remember, I came along to keep an eye on you, and to show you that even you can change," Natsu insisted.

Zeref nodded, his expression softening somewhat at his words. "Yes, I do recall your words. There is a reason I am bringing you with me. It has been quite some time since I attempted to hold back against any enemy, and I feel as if you may be the better choice to handle these wizards in battle should it come to such a thing."

Natsu nodded with a grin, looking eager now. "Sounds like a plan. We'll train on the way, and when we arrive, I'll deal with any wizards giving you issues. After all, they sound a lot like the dark guilds we have back at home."

"Thank you, Natsu, for your assistance in this matter. If there is anything you need from me in return, all you need to do is ask," Zeref stated, watching Natsu blink at him in surprise.

It took a second, but slowly the dragon slayer began to laugh at his comment. "You're way to serious, Zeref! Learn to loosen up. After all, we're friends now, right? And friends always help each other out when they need it," he insisted.

Zeref stopped at those words, now staring at Natsu with wide eyes. No one had referred to him as their friend, not in nearly a century of time. He did not get close to anyone, and he did not care for others easily. Zeref had learned that caring for others, regardless of their strength, would ultimately only bring both himself and the world around him more suffering. "Friends…it is not usually a good idea to be friends with me, Natsu."

Natsu grinned over at him, wrapping an arm around the black wizards shoulders and pulling him along down the hallway. "A lot of people tell me I do reckless things, so why not be friends with the black wizard? I mean, I've already been hit with that death magic of yours, and I'm perfectly fine, aren't I?"

Zeref gazed at Natsu, seeing his white scarf that matched the one he was now wearing, only a different color. Dragon scales would protect him from the worst of Zeref's magic, but ultimately, he knew that the more he cared for someone, the harder it would be to save them from his curse. "If that is your wish, I suppose I cannot argue against you. Be warned, Natsu, even if you were unharmed before, the closer I grow to anyone, the more my magic will long for your death. Even with my new grasp on how to control it, I make no guarantee of my capability to hold off my curse should I truly come to care for your life."

Natsu only grinned over at Zeref, releasing the black wizard and ruffling his hair. Zeref was a bit startled by Natsu's actions, but the boy was already moving on. "Stop being so grim about everything, Zeref! If you have hope for the future, you'll see that things will turn out alright in the end."

Staring over at Natsu, Zeref slowly began to feel a small smile spreading across his face. There was a reason he had agreed to train Natsu, and this was it. The dragon slayer had a good effect on him, showing him just how he needed to change and making his view on life just a bit brighter. Perhaps with that, he could grow to tolerate living for just a little while longer.

 **Classes have started back up...so updates might slow down for a bit again. I'm getting a few chapters out now for different stories before things pick up too much with them and begin to overwhelm me. Feel free to review and tell me what you think!**


	19. Chapter 19

**Disclaimer:** I am not the owner of Fairy Tail

It did not take long for Zeref to announce his return to his empire. Lacrima were used to communicate the news all over the kingdom, allowing each of the 730 guilds in the Alvarez Empire to become aware of the fact that their emperor was here, and that he had every intention of staying for the time being.

With that taken care of, Zeref moved on to the next order of business. Traveling to Shalir would take some time, especially since Zeref planned on moving on foot. The train would be far quicker, but he did recall that dragon slayers long ago had issues with any form of transportation. "So, how long is it going to take us to get to Shalir?" Natsu asked, walking by Zeref's side with a large backpack in tow.

Zeref carried nothing except the clothes on his back, having no need for food or supplies to survive. His typical dark robe was what he wore, combined with his white sash and the black scarf he still had from Future Natsu. "On foot, the journey should take about a week's time. During our travels, I will be stopping to train you, which may delay our journey."

Natsu looked a bit surprised, smiling over at Zeref. "Walking? Well, I think I like traveling with you! My friends always insist on using the train, claiming that it would take way too long to go on foot."

Zeref was amused, a small smile on his face as he walked along the empty street between Vistarion and its neighboring cities. In between cities, his kingdom was often surrounded by wilderness. Trees dotted the street they walked on, leaves hanging over their heads as they spoke. "That does not surprise me. Humans often dislike wasting their time, since it is a precious thing to them. I have all the time in the world, and based on my previous knowledge of dragon slayers, I assumed you would prefer to walk to our destination."

Natsu smiled, patting Zeref on the back as he moved happily along the street. "That's great! Maybe when we get back to Fairy Tail, you can explain that to Lucy. She's the one who is really pushy about taking trains and boats." Zeref shook his head, aware that it would be quite a challenge to convince a normal wizard to do such a thing.

Natsu's smile faded slightly, looking more serious as he glanced over at Zeref. "You know, that sounds kind of strange when you think about it. I mean, you're human too, even if you are cursed."

Zeref glanced up at the sky, frowning at the thought. "I suppose I am, though I often see myself as being set apart from most of humanity. Immortality gives me a strange viewpoint, one which few seem to grasp. Everyone I meet ultimately perishes before myself, and thusly, I cannot view them to be like me."

Natsu frowned, turning his head towards his companion. "Yeah, I guess that would make it hard to relate to others," he commented. "I mean, I really don't get half of the things Gramps tells us to do at the guild, so it's kind of the same concept for you."

Zeref nodded, returning his gaze to the space in front of them. "There was someone, once, who I thought would not leave my side before I found death," he stated thoughtfully, his voice quiet and distant. Natsu looked surprised to hear about this, watching Zeref carefully. "In fact, you have likely met her in some form, being a part of Fairy Tail. Nearly a century ago, I encountered a young girl wishing to become a stronger wizard, much like you desire. Her name was Mavis Vermillion, and that was the last time I truly trained anyone in magic."

Natsu's eyes widened, stopping in his tracks to stare at Zeref. "Wait…you trained the first in magic? That means…you're the reason Fairy Tail even exists!"

"I suppose that is one interpretation of my actions," Zeref stated quietly, his face withdrawn and sad. "In the end, I only brought about far more tragedy than she ever should have experienced. I never planned on training anyone in magic again after that day, however, I seem to be breaking the promise I made to myself back then."

Natsu gazed at Zeref, his expression serious as he nodded. "I may not know what happened back then, but I do understand that looking back on our past never helps. In the end, all we can do is look forward and move on. I'm sure Mavis would want you to do the same, rather than staying all depressed about it like this."

Zeref focused ahead of them, frowning. "No, I am certain Mavis would wish for her old life back. I suppose you could say I am responsible for the way she is now, for her inability to truly experience life."

The fire wizard glanced over at him, waiting for a longer explanation. When nothing came, he got irritated. "Come on, stop with the mysterious comments all the time. When you decide to talk about something, at least finish your thought rather than leaving me hanging with a comment like that."

Zeref nodded, though he was beginning to regret bringing this subject up. "She asked me to teach her black magic, and I did so. By performing such a spell, she gained the same curse I live with," he began quietly, his gaze turned downward towards the ground.

Natsu blinked in confusion, frowning over at him. "That…that doesn't make any sense. I mean, that would mean she's immortal, right?" Natsu asked, seeing the black wizard nod ever so slightly. "How the hell did she end up dead then? I mean, she told us she's only with us in spirit form."

"My curse," Zeref said, leaving Natsu silent for a moment, staring at him uncomfortably. "I grew to care for her…believing that she would be safe due to the immortality of our curse, but in the end, it created the ultimate contradiction. She could not die, because she was immortal, yet she had to, because I loved her. That was what placed her in the state she still remains in today, neither alive nor dead, incapable of truly experiencing life."

"I…that's why you were warning me before, isn't it?" Natsu asked. Zeref stayed silent, focused on following their path as night began to fall on the first day of their journey. "You're afraid that I'll end up like her, like Mavis."

Zeref focused on Natsu, narrowing his eyes at the boy. His words may have been true, but he disliked hearing them spoken out loud. As different as Mavis and Natsu were, they both gave Zeref a feeling of peacefulness and calm that he did not experience around others. It was a rare feeling for the black wizard, and in the end, it made him value their lives more than those of others. It was dangerous for them both, and currently, Natsu seemed to be following down the same path as Mavis. For that reason, Zeref was set on keeping his distance from the dragon slayer, yet he found himself wanting to speak during their travel thus far. Part of him longed to tell someone about his past, for he had grown tired of the centuries of isolation and silence he had endured as a result of his curse.

Zeref and Natsu had stopped on the street, still as Zeref focused on the pink haired wizard. "You will not end up like Mavis," Zeref stated at last, turning away. "I have learned from my mistakes. I cannot care for anyone in any form, Natsu, for those I care about only die from my own magic."

Natsu buried his face into his scarf at that, though his eyes seemed to say that he was upset for some reason. Instead of speaking, he grabbed Zeref's hand and dragged the black wizard into the forest. The dragon slayer only stopped once they were far away from the road, standing surrounded by trees with a few of their leaves littering the ground by their feet.

Without a hint of warning, Natsu slammed his fist into Zeref's chest, sending the black wizard flying back into a nearby tree. Zeref stared at him in shock, moving to rise to his feet with wide eyes. "Natsu, what—?" he began, but the dragon slayer attacked once more, his fist ablaze as he straightened his neck. The boy was quite angry, glaring at Zeref with a ferocity he did not expect.

The black wizard did not move to attack Natsu, but unlike before, he did dodge the dragon slayer's incoming fist. Natsu quickly recovered from the dodge, moving in once more with a kick instead. The black wizard watched his foot lift from the ground, still dazed and confused as to what had happened. He had not killed anyone, nor had he insulted Natsu or his guild, but the dragon slayer was acting as if Zeref had done so.

Zeref grabbed Natsu's ankle from the incoming attack, stopping the collision. The fire wizard glared over at him, yanking on his ankle and freeing his leg, but in doing so, he lost his balance. Seeing this, Zeref rushed forward, grabbing Natsu's arm instead to pull him back to his feet. Not long after, he released the other wizard, preparing himself for another senseless attack from the wizard he originally thought was here to help him.

Instead of fighting, however, the other boy slowly began to grin over at Zeref. "You're lying," he said, lifting his face to Zeref. The black wizard was startled by the sudden shift back to conversation, unsure of what to make of it. "I may not know you well, but I do know how a normal person would react to some random stranger attacking them in the woods. If you honestly didn't care for my life at all, you would have fought back."

Zeref blinked at the dragon slayer, inhaling sharply at the accusation. "Natsu, why—" he began, but the boy was grinning as if he had achieved some massive victory in this battle.

"Even so, I guess you were right. It looks like I'm not going to die just because you want me to live. I mean, I was pretty close to you when I was kicking you around, wasn't I?"

It was such insane logic, Zeref had no words to respond with. This dragon slayer had left him speechless, something that had not occurred for Zeref in any time that he could recall. Even so, Zeref could see a valid point in his words. Natsu had disproved his statement with something he could not deny. Anyone else fighting him in that manner, for no apparent reason, would have fallen prey to his wrath. He had killed people for far less than what Natsu just did, yet with the dragon slayer, he had not even considered harming the boy. Instead, he had aided his enemy, preventing Natsu's injury when he lost his balance.

As Zeref struggled to come up with something to say to Natsu's comment, the dragon slayer's grin lessened into a simple smile. "Anyway, I think it's time for us to call it a night. After all, we've got a day full of training and traveling tomorrow. I'm gonna get us some firewood and cook some of the fish I brought with me," Natsu stated, walking off into the forest and leaving Zeref alone in the darkness of the trees.

Zeref took a deep breath once he was gone, letting himself sit down and lean back on the trunk of one of the trees around him. It had been so long since he told a lie, knowingly or not, and it felt strange. He had learned that people typically grew unnecessarily angry over such things, thus he avoided answering questions that he did not want to reply to, and always made sure to tell the truth in some form. "Natsu…what are you to me?" Zeref mused quietly to himself, gazing upward at the sky. More leaves were falling down on his face, the trees around him wilting and fading away as Zeref contemplated the boy's life. It was clear that he had not yet mastered preventing such a tragedy, but it was getting closer.

The dragon slayer was supposed to be a means to an end, but his mindset had changed long ago. Even before coming back to his empire, he had begun to view Natsu as something beyond just a means to finding peace. He had found hope once more in the idea that someone could be near him and survive, as proven by the blackened scarf around Zeref's own neck. That made Zeref simply wish to aid the boy, rather than train Natsu to become strong enough to defeat him.

Zeref closed his eyes, his shoulders feeling heavy and his body exhausted for seemingly no reason. He could not continue to grow closer to Natsu, or else the boy would suffer the same fate as Mavis. Even so, he could not bring himself to avoid the dragon slayer who was becoming the closest thing Zeref had to a friend in this world. It would be best for Natsu if he left, but it was slowly becoming harder to decide which path was the one he wished to take, the one that ensured the least amount of suffering for the world around him.

The black wizard was still leaning back against the now dead tree when Natsu returned, his eyes closed and his breathing calm and steady. The dragon slayer stopped, staring at Zeref and assuming the other boy was asleep before getting to work on quietly building a fire for them. Zeref could sense his presence, though, and feel the heat of the flames Natsu created to light the wood he had gathered. The smell of roasting fish rose into the air, mixing with the smoke of the fire as Zeref struggled with his own internal debate. The silence of the night provided him with no answers, and his mind remained restless, long after the dragon slayer had fallen asleep himself. Zeref let his eyes open once Natsu was asleep, gazing over at the boy thoughtfully, spending his night simply watching the dragon slayer sleep peacefully under the stars while he remained incapable of finding even the simple peace of a good night's sleep.

 **Alright, I've got another chapter ready! I hope you enjoyed. Feel free to review and tell me what you think!**


	20. Chapter 20

**Disclaimer:** I am not the owner of Fairy Tail

Zeref was on his feet well before Natsu woke up, knowing that he would be hungry when he arose. He was making use of the dead wood around him, rather than letting the death of these plants go to waste. After all, their deaths had allowed Zeref to realize he needed to slow down his thought process, and focus on how beneficial death could be for the world. It was a rather morbid moment, thinking about such things, but necessary to protect the life of the things around him.

Now, he was using their death to form a fire for at least making something for Natsu. He did have a limited understanding of fire magic, allowing him to start the blaze in the same spot as before. With the fire started, Zeref still wondered what to do next. He had no need for food, so he had never truly gained an understanding of how to prepare things to eat. In the end, Zeref had stood staring at the fire, considering his next action for longer than he thought he would.

Natsu woke up before he had moved, yawning loudly before sitting up in the forest, taking a glance at their surroundings. "Hey, you're awake. You passed out before I could talk you you last night," Natsu commented, glancing over at Zeref.

The black wizard nodded, still distant and reserved after his own reflection. "Just because you won't say it, doesn't change the fact that it's true. We're friends, and I'm not going to let you go back to that castle of yours until you admit it," Natsu insisted.

Zeref wondered how the dragon slayer planned to accomplish such a task, but was interrupted by seeing him leaning over the fire, eating the flames with a grin. "Man, I didn't realize you had fire magic! It would have saved me all that effort of cooking fish last night if I knew I could just eat your fire." Natsu leaned back with the fire extinguished in moments.

He should have thought of this before debating on trying to cook something, though it was a bit late now. "When you have so much time on your hands, it becomes quite easy to learn much about magic and the world around you," Zeref stated calmly, standing up and moving back towards the road without glancing at Natsu again.

The dragon slayer frowned, following after Zeref. "Hey, get back here!" Natsu ran towards Zeref. "I thought I told you yesterday, this distant mopey act of yours ain't fooling me."

Instead of replying, Zeref turned back towards Natsu with a focused expression. "Our mornings will begin with training. If you wish to battle the wizards of the Alvarez Empire, you have much work to do," he said, seeing Natsu grumble about him avoiding the topic. "There are over 730 guilds making up this nation, all of which answer solely to me and are under direct military rule. In essence, each guild is trained as my soldiers, to fight should war ever arise within our borders or beyond them."

Natsu sighed, crossing his arms over his chest and focusing on training for now. "So? Who cares if there's a lot of them? I've only got to deal with a handful of wizards who disagree with you."

Zeref nodded, sitting down on the ground of the forest, away from their small campsite where they had rested. "Yes, however, they are well trained wizards. You do recall fighting against Invel. His power rivals that of one of the wizards your nation calls the four gods of Ishgar. Within your battle, he was simply testing your own limits. The other wizards of this nation are at least as powerful as one of your guild's S-class mages, if not more powerful due to the militaristic nature of our culture."

Natsu frowned at this, glancing around them for a moment. Zeref had walked closer to the road, but the place they stopped in was a clearing of some kind. It wasn't large by any means, but there was more space and freedom to move. "So, I'm guessing you want me to work on the whole focus my energy thing you talked about yesterday."

Zeref nodded, taking a step back with and folding his arms behind his back. "Indeed, and for today, I shall make your task simple. Your objective is to land an attack on me. I shall not move to dodge, nor will I attack back."

Natsu grinned at him, laughing at the challenge. "Man, this is going to be easy. I'll show you just how strong I really am."

Zeref remained calm, not moving a muscle as flames danced around Natsu's fist. "Fire Dragon's Iron Fist!" he shouted, moving to slam his attack into Zeref. The force did indeed collide with something, and it was quite strong. However, it was not the black wizard himself. Zeref was standing on a magic circle under his feet, creating a shield around his body that prevented Natsu's attack from breaking through.

Natsu stepped back, blinking in surprise at what had happened. "You are still not focusing your energy. If you attack a single point on this barrier with enough force, you will break through to me," Zeref informed him, seeing Natsu focus, seeming to take this a bit more seriously now.

"Now I get it. It looks like I'll just have to burn through this thing with you in it," he said with a grin. Natsu unleashed his flames once more, this time a slightly different style of attack. "Fire Dragon's Wing Attack!" he shouted, twin pillars of flame coming down on Zeref from Natsu's arms.

Zeref sat down within the circle, closing his eyes as the attack did not even weaken the shield surrounding him. "I see. It seems as if this may take more time than I first thought," he commented.

Natsu glared at him, clearly upset with this training method. "Come on, you're cheating! This whole barrier thing is no fair, you made it to be impenetrable, didn't you?" he demanded, while Zeref simply waited for him to attack again.

With an irritated growl, Natsu threw another attack at him, this time without magic. His fist still collided with solid air, even without his power behind it. "While it isn't indestructible, it is designed to withstand both physical and magical attacks," Zeref explained.

With a scowl, Natsu tried once more. "Fire Dragon's Brilliant Flame!" he declared, throwing a massive ball of fire down upon the black wizard. The flames scattered, setting trees ablaze in the forest and burring away the grass on the ground, but Zeref's barrier still stood. Only the area he sat in was untouched by the dragon slayer's flames, protected by the black wizard's magic. "Damn it, what the hell am I doing wrong?"

Zeref sighed, glancing over at Natsu. "Attempt for a smaller attack. Look around you and see the destruction your spells have brought," he stated, seeing the dragon slayer do just that with a frown. "Your spells contain destructive power, but it is widespread and unfocused. If you place all of that power into a single area and condense your flames, you will find that you are capable of causing much more damage to a single spot."

Natsu nodded, gazing at Zeref for a few moments. "So, you're telling me to weaken my attack, so it becomes stronger? Damn it, this is so confusing. Everything is just a big contradiction with you, isn't it?" he demanded in his anger. Zeref's eyes flashed at those words, darkening somewhat at the implication. Natsu realized what he said as well, his angry glare fading as he stared at Zeref, simply looking uncomfortable now. "I, uh, I didn't mean it like that. I mean, yeah, it makes total sense! Let me just…" Natsu began, trailing off.

Zeref turned his focus to the ground, not looking at Natsu as the dragon slayer attempted to return the focus to training. He made a weak attempt to break through Zeref's shield once more, but it was clear that neither of them had the focus for this anymore. "Natsu…I am sorry," Zeref stated, tears on his cheeks. "I…I cannot seem to determine what is right anymore."

Natsu stared at Zeref, looking determined as he stood taller in the forest. "Stop apologizing, you didn't do anything wrong," he insisted, his gaze focusing for a moment. "Tell you what, I'm going to try one more time to get through that shield of yours. If I manage to hit you, you're gonna admit to me that we're friends and not just a teacher and his student, alright?"

Zeref lifted his gaze towards Natsu, frowning as he attempted to collect himself once more. "Natsu…it is clear that this training is not helping you. My methods…it is a challenge, teaching magic from a distance…" he attempted, but Natsu was shaking his head, grinning over at Zeref.

"Who cares about your teaching methods? You've been around for far longer than I have. Heck, you probably know even more than Igneel knows about magic. I've just gotta try harder to figure out your tricks." Zeref didn't reply, unsure if he was right or not. Instead, Natsu stood ready to attack once more, widening his stance as he took a step back from Zeref. The fire wizard seemed to focus himself first, something he had not done before in any of his previous attacks. When his eyes opened again, Natsu unleashed his power. "Fire Dragon's Roar!" he shouted.

Zeref was not expecting a breath attack, considering that they were known for widespread destruction and uncontrollable tendencies. Natsu's other spells would have been a far easier starting point to focus his ability, since they themselves were already focused on a particular area of his body. Even so, he watched in shock as the flames came forth from Natsu in a jet-lined stream, piercing and burning hot as it collided with Zeref's barrier. The magical energy he could sense from this attack was indeed less than what Natsu put into his previous spells, since it wasn't excessively destroying the forest around him as he attacked. Even so, that single stream of flames was powerful, forcing Zeref to lean back and brace himself as the attack broke through his barrier, erasing the magic circle he had resting at his feet when the effectiveness vanished.

The black wizard was struck down by the spell, feeling the heat of flames collide with his outstretched arm. They burned his skin, far hotter than the flames he had felt from Natsu before. Once it had broken through the barrier, they had lessened in strength, but it did not weaken the initial heat of the spell, and Zeref was surprised to see a burn on his arm when the flames faded away. Yes, it was gradually healing, but it took quite a bit of heat to leave any mark on his skin long enough for him to truly see it.

Natsu stood triumphant in front of the black wizard, who was still on the ground inspecting his arm when the dragon slayer stepped forward. "Ha! I told ya I could do it. See, you're doing just fine, Zeref. Sorry for yelling at you before, I guess I was just upset that it took me so long!" Natsu stated with a grin, kneeling over in front of him.

Zeref stared at the dragon slayer, wondering how he didn't see that he had done far more than accomplish the task Zeref had given him. For a moment, he had tapped into that small amount of unreachable power within him, and it had given him the strength required to actually harm Zeref in some form. "Yes…I suppose you are making progress," Zeref said at last, seeing the dragon slayer continue staring at him. "As for our deal, I thought it had been rather obvious. Perhaps my description of my curse was unclear, but one fact does remain. You may be my friend, Natsu Dragneel, but that puts your life in grave danger if we continue to travel together."

Natsu laughed in amusement, shaking off his concern. "Yeah, but like I said before, I can handle that curse of yours! With this new power of mine, I bet I can just burn away that death magic before it even touches me."

Zeref did not know if such a feat would be even possible, but he was not willing to risk it to find out. "You do realize…if you perish by my hand, I will likely forget why it is I decided to value life again. Mavis' death is what pushed me to the brink of forgetting before, and I have not become close to anyone since that day." Zeref warned.

Natsu sighed, reaching down to grab Zeref's arm and pull the black wizard to his feet. "As usual, you go back to being all morbid on me. I promise, I'm not going to die on you, Zeref. After all, I've still got to live on until I find Igneel again, and from what I saw back in Crocus, it will happen one day."

Zeref focused on Natsu, his expression far more serious than that of the dragon slayer. "I will hold you to that promise, Natsu Dragneel. Should you perish, I will bring you back and show you what I usually do to the people who anger me."

Natsu burst into laughter at the empty threat, while Zeref slowly loosened up and smiled at the dragon slayer. "Come on, let's get going! We've got some rebellious guilds to stop, don't we?" Natsu asked as he grinned. Zeref only nodded in agreement, smiling as he moved on to resume their travels. The weather was quite nice today, and Zeref felt a warmth inside that he had not felt in years. Perhaps hope for the future was not such a bad thing, especially when it brought him friends like Natsu Dragneel.

 **Alright, we've got another chapter ready! I hope you enjoyed a little bit more of Natsu's training. Feel free to review and tell me what you think!**


	21. Chapter 21

**Disclaimer:** I am not the owner of Fairy Tail

It ended up taking Natsu and Zeref ten days to reach Shalir. Traveling by foot was rather calming for the black wizard, and a nice change of pace for Natsu who was tired of taking trains and boats everywhere. While it had not followed Zeref's anticipated plan of taking only a week to arrive, the delay was expected. Not only had he stopped continually to work with Natsu more on growing his power, they had also been delayed in another town on their way north. Natsu had been at a restaurant, eating food quite rapidly while Zeref had been avoiding the public eye, resting in an alley nearby. When Natsu had vanished from sight, it did not take Zeref long to locate the dragon slayer in the town's local holding cell, imprisoned for not only refusing to pay for his food, but also for starting a brawl with one of the other patrons of the restaurant. Luckily, the dragon slayer was friends with their emperor and he was able to be freed, but the dilemma had delayed their travels for a day while the release paperwork was finalized.

Shalir was still a growing town, looking slightly smaller than Magnolia was. A few stores lined the streets they walked in, leading to a main intersection that would lead them either towards the guild that was housed in the city, the homes for most residents, or towards inns for visitors to stay in while they passed through. Natsu glanced at each building with interest, his gaze flickering over each of them as he walked side by side with Zeref.

"If we continue traveling straight, we shall reach the guild we are searching for," Zeref told Natsu when they paused at the main intersection, seeing people walking by on their way to and from work. Only a few people traveled towards the inns, considering it was not a tourist town, but many were moving towards their homes and the shopping district behind Zeref and Natsu. With it being midday, it was not surprising that the first shift employees were now trading out with their replacements at the stores.

Natsu frowned at Zeref's instructions, glancing over towards the inns on their right. "I guess. I was hoping to grab some food before we head into a fight, I'm starving. Besides, something over there smells really tasty."

Zeref sighed, having realized during their travels just how much the dragon slayer loved food. "How about we set this up as a job for you, Natsu?" Zeref stated, trying to get him to focus on the task at hand. The dragon slayer glanced at him with a frown, confused as Zeref continued to explain. "I wish to hire you to deal with a rebellious guild in this area. Return to me when you've completed your task and as your reward, I will treat you to the largest dinner you can eat at your choice of restaurant in Shalir."

Natsu slowly began to grin at Zeref, now looking eager to continue forward. He moved without another prompt from Zeref, towards the guild. "Alright, that sounds like something I can look forward to. I've been itching for a real fight since we started traveling, and it looks like I just might find one here."

As Natsu came closer to the guild, however, he froze, his eyes widening. "This smell…it smells like a…" he began, while Zeref nodded towards him.

"Dragon? That is not surprising, considering who was sent here to deal with this problem." Zeref commented. Natsu glanced at Zeref in surprise, who only smiled in return. "Irene Belserion is likely the owner of the scent you are detecting, and I would not advise on antagonizing her. Her past troubles her greatly, and unlike me, if you push for answers she will likely attack in anger."

Natsu nodded, looking wary as he gazed over towards the guild hall. The building was rather run-down, made of wooden walls with a door painted light green. Above the door was a sign, with a symbol of a crescent moon encircling a star. "So, this is the Crescent Cloud guild you kept talking about." Natsu commented, gazing up at the building.

Zeref nodded, aware that it did not look like much. Zeref had stopped paying them for their services before he had left earlier, due to a dilemma with the leader of the guild. She had demanded an increase in pay for their services, insisting that they were just as valuable, if not more valuable, than Zeref's own personal guard. At the time, it had angered him that someone would speak so rashly to him, thus he had taken away the money they wished so dearly to obtain. Now, they were revolting to try and gain that money, leaving Zeref left to clean up after their mess.

"So, why haven't your generals dealt with them yet?" Natsu asked, seeing Zeref shrug, unconcerned.

"Politics. Any action taken against a legal guild must be done with permission from myself. It was meant to avoid the pointless wars that your nation fought when wizard guilds were first becoming popular," Zeref explained.

Natsu nodded, smiling over at the door. "Alright, so do I have permission to break in and beat the crap out of these wizards?" he asked, glancing over at Zeref.

The black wizard couldn't help but smile slightly in amusement, nodding towards the dragon slayer in response. Natsu smirked as he sent his fist flying into the door, breaking it off of its hinges and sending the door bursting into the guild itself, colliding with tables and a few members seating within. "Hey, you guys are the wizards of Crescent Cloud, right?" Natsu demanded, seeing the faces of the wizards present turning towards him. "I'm here to send you a message from your emperor. He says to stop fooling around and get back to work!"

Zeref was right by Natsu, but he supposed the dragon slayer's words be be effective nonetheless. It was amusing to watch the lesser wizards of this guild attempt to take down the dragon slayer, throwing all kinds of magic at him. Requip magic was popular in this guild, as revealed by a small team of wizards battling with various swords against Natsu. When one was knocked out of their grip, another would appear and they would continue to battle, while another wizard utilized guns magic to add in ranged attacks behind them.

Natsu was grinning as he dodged their attacks, blocking some of them before unleashing his own flames against the members of this guild. "I think this calls for some uncontrolled magic, right Zeref?" Natsu asked, glancing back at the black wizard. He shrugged, aware that their empire had plenty of funds to rebuild if the fire wizard destroyed too much in his attack. "Then in that case….Fire Dragon's Brilliant Flame!" With those words, Natsu sent a massive orb of fire into the next group of oncoming wizards.

A water wizard attempted to put out the flames, throwing a massive wave against the attack only to watch as her water evaporated away before even touching Natsu's attack. Steam rose in the guild hall, blurring the vision of the wizards who still remained standing for battle. Natsu's next attacks were physical, sending his elbows and fists flying into the closest wizards near him before they could recover their sight.

"I thought you said this would be a challenge." Natsu commented, glancing back at Zeref who shrugged. He had thought it would be, but it seemed as if some of the guilds had grown weaker in his absence. He would have to remember to tell Invel to schedule extra training for some of these smaller guilds that seemed to be lacking in the strength that the Alvarez Empire was known for.

When the last wizard had fallen, Natsu and Zeref stood among the injured bodies of the wizards around them. "I do not tolerate revolutions or rebellions in my kingdom," Zeref stated, talking to them for the first time. "Such acts remind me of war, and as such, I dislike them immensely. If you do not enjoy living under my rule, you are free to leave for another country. So long as you remain one of my subjects, I shall lead you as I see fit. If you disobey me again, I will personally be the one to punish you, and I promise you, I will not be nearly as merciful as my friend has been."

Natsu glared at the wizards within, turning to leave with Zeref. Standing at the door, however, was a woman with long red hair tied up in braids, with a massive hat covering the top of her head. "I see you've returned from your long absence, Emperor Spriggan. Is this a new toy for us to play with?" she commented with a small grin.

Zeref glared at her, not in the mood for her antics as he pushed her aside to leave. "I would not speak of Natsu that way, Irene," he warned, seeing her gaze flicker over to the boy who was studying her carefully.

"So…you found another dragon slayer." Natsu commented as he focused on her. "Tell me, what happened—" he began, but Zeref cut off his words with a harsh look.

"Natsu, remember my warning," he said quietly after a few tense moments, seeing Irene frown in confusion between the two.

The enchantress shrugged after a few moments, moving to join the two as the left the guild. "Well, I suppose having help won't hurt too much around here. As long as he pulls his own weight, I won't object. Besides, it isn't like he could surpass either of us in strength."

Natsu glared at her, clearly disliking the woman's attitude. "Don't underestimate me…I've got plenty of strength and I'll show you just what I'm made of if you keep talking down to me like that."

Zeref stood between them, shaking his head. "Enough, both of you. Irene, if you continue to antagonize him, I shall take away the gift I gave you so long ago," he warned, seeing the woman look haunted at the thought, glancing away. "Natsu, if you continue to threaten Irene, you will be facing an opponent even stronger than any you have fought against thus far. She is the only wizard I've met who claims to have the power necessary to destroy Acnologia, so tell me, do you wish to battle against someone who may actually be able to remain true to that assessment?"

The fire dragon slayer stared at her with wide eyes, shocked by the revelation. "Strong enough to….defeat Acnologia?" Zeref nodded, running a hand through his hair in irritation. "I…I guess I have a lot to learn, then. It seems like your dragon trained you well, otherwise you wouldn't be that powerful," Natsu said cheerfully, seeing Irene's expression turn harsh as she glared at him.

"You know nothing of my past or what I've gone through. Say another word about it and I promise, I will end you regardless of what his majesty wishes."

Zeref glared at her harshly, raising his arm only for her to step back fearfully. "Irene, that is enough!" he ordered. "Now, tell me before I lose my patience. What are the other guilds up to in this area?"

The woman nodded, agreeing to his request while avoiding Natsu's gaze. "They…they were following the lead of the guild you stopped here. I don't think they'll be causing us trouble again. Brandish was just waiting for your orders to finish her dealings with the guild in Lograin, and I was on my way to secure this town until you returned. It seems as if you arrived a bit late to be of much use to us, sire."

Zeref nodded, unconcerned. "Tell Brandish to hurry and deal with the others. Whether you like it or not, Natsu is training under my supervision. He will have your respect, and you will cease in this foolishness of yours. Do I make myself clear?" Zeref stated harshly, glaring over at Irene.

"You are training him? Don't tell me you are being foolish enough to replace me. You will never stand a chance against the black dragon without my power," she insisted, glaring at her emperor with anger in her eyes.

Zeref returned her glare in kind, with Natsu watching them go back and forth, unsure of if he should join in. "Acnologia is not our concern. In fact, I have a different task in mind for you. I need someone to keep an eye on my bookshelf, and your eye magic would be the perfect way to do so."

Irene looked even more upset now than before, no where near ready to back down. "I see how it is, with this _friend_ of yours. You've grown soft, letting emotions cloud your judgment just as I knew they would when we went after Ishgar to obtain Fairy Heart. To be honest, I expected this to happen from your feelings for your former lover, not for those of a new one."

Zeref's eyes flashed red at her insinuation, his anger reaching its peak as Natsu stared in surprise at her comment. "Wait, go after Ishgar? Isn't that…that's what the other guys called my home…you were planning a war against us?" he demanded, turning towards Zeref.

"Irene Belserion, consider yourself relieved of your position among the Spriggan 12. From this day forth, you are no longer welcome in my empire. I do hope you enjoy the reward you've received for angering me," Zeref told her, waving his hand over her figure. "Consider yourself lucky that I am with this _friend_ of mine," he stated, mimicking her pervious tone. "Without him, I would not have shown you any form of mercy."

Natsu was still focused on Zeref, too focused on the black wizard to see the transformation occurring to Irene. The woman was vanishing in a cloud of smoke, her body returning to its true form as Zeref removed his spell from her. Behind him stood a massive dragon, one which he ignored as he turned towards Natsu. "You tricked me. I helped you restore peace to this empire of yours…just so you could destroy my home. I guess you really are the type of wizard everyone says you are," he stated darkly, looking quite enraged. "In fact, I'll show you right now what happens when you mess with a member of Fairy Tail."

"Natsu…do you truly wish to fight me? You know I will not stop you. Perhaps you have grown strong enough…strong enough to destroy me," Zeref spoke softly, seeing the dragon slayer hesitate for a moment, flames still dancing on his fists. That hesitation did not last long, however. Natsu's expression hardened, his glare growing even fiercer as he sent his fist towards Zeref.

"Fire Dragon's Iron Fist!" he shouted, sending the black wizard flying back into the body of a familiar dragon. Irene was still here, flying forward to defend Zeref from the dragon slayer.

Zeref saw this, his eyes widening in fear at the idea. "Irene, I order you—" he began, but the dragon let out a chuckle of amusement.

"I am no longer your subject, correct? That means I no longer have to follow your orders. I shall show you your mistake, and end this boy before he becomes a true interference to our plans," Irene stated, her voice now a bit deeper and more raspy in her true form.

Natsu was staring at her with shock on his features, seeing a dragon in the city. "You…you were a dragon this whole time?" he stated, glancing over at Zeref who was getting back up to his feet. "Well, I guess that means I have even more of a reason to fight. I'm gonna make you tell me where Igneel is, and once I'm done with you, I'm stopping Zeref before he comes to hurt any of my friends."

 **So, there's a ton of snow where I'm at right now. No school, which means I have time to write a bit more this week than usual! I hope you enjoyed this chapter (sorry for the cliffhanger). Feel free to review and tell me what you think!**


	22. Chapter 22

**Disclaimer:** I am not the owner of Fairy Tail

The scene in front of Zeref had cleared the streets of Shalir, leaving only Natsu, Zeref, and Irene Belserion in front of what remained of the guild known as Crescent Cloud. Natsu was facing off against the former member of the Spriggan Twelve, while Zeref tried to think of what he could do to stop this fight. Theoretically, he could freeze them to give himself a moment to think, but it would not benefit him in any way. He had already considered how a battle between Natsu and Irene would go, when he initially selected Invel as the one to train the dragon slayer. Even if Natsu's strength had grown, he was still leagues away from reaching Irene's power.

Natsu charged forward with his own attack first, sending fire dancing towards Irene. "Fire Dragon's Wing Attack!" he shouted, swinging his arms down and sending flames towards the beast's chest. Irene agilely dodged the attack, impressive considering her massive size. Instead, the flames collided with the guild hall behind her, destroying it in an instant and leaving the two combatants facing each other warily.

Irene seemed to smile, watching the dragon slayer prepare another attack even after failing in his first one. "Fire Dragon's Crushing Fang!" he declared, slashing out at her scales. This time, Irene lifted her front claw, swiping it towards Natsu and throwing his body aside in one swift motion.

"You are weak, dragon slayer, far too weak for the one trained by the Fire Dragon King." she stated calmly. "It is time you met your end, by the hand of the Queen of Dragnof."

"You think so? Well, it looks like I'll just have to show you what I'm really made of." Natsu stated with a grin, his flames intensifying around him. "Fire Dragon's Roar!" he shouted, sending a piercing stream of fire towards Irene. Zeref recognized the technique he had taught the dragon slayer, powerful but not enough to truly take down a wizard like the strongest female member of the Spriggan Twelve.

The flames collided with Irene's shoulder, since she had not even bothered to dodge what had appeared to be a weak attack. The flames shot through her shoulder, however, tearing apart the scales and leaving her roaring into the sky in pain from the wound. "I see, you truly are powerful. In that case, I do believe I have a new plan in mind."

Zeref frowned, wondering just how far Irene intended to take this battle. At the moment, she was only toying with Natsu. She had yet to even use a single one of her enchantments, yet Natsu had not managed to do anything more than cause a small injury to her shoulder. "Well, bring it on. I'm starting to think you're weak. I've faced stronger dragons before, and you are nothing compared to them."

Zeref stared over at Natsu, focusing on the boy before Irene could reply. "That is because she is like Acnologia. Irene is a dragon slayer, whose body was long ago altered into the form of a dragon by her own magic."

Natsu glared over at Zeref, anger still on his face. "I don't need your help, you bastard! I told you before, you've messed with the wrong guild, and I'm still not done with you yet."

Irene, however, was getting annoyed with their conversation. She let out a low growl, inhaling sharply and releasing a massive destructive blast from her mouth upon the streets below. Zeref's eyes widened at the sight, seeing Natsu directly in the path of the blow. "Natsu!" he shouted, placing his palm on the surface of the street without thought. A magic circle formed under his palm, transferring from beneath him to underneath Natsu just as Irene's breath attack struck.

Zeref was caught in the blast, his body thrown back as his robes were torn apart by her power. His scarf remained intact, made of dragon scales and quite durable unlike the cloth of his robes that now hung in tatters around his body. Blood was tricking down his skin; even as his wounds healed more were formed from the blast. His entire body was in immense pain, but his gaze was searching for something in the storm.

As the dust settled from Irene's attack, he was left staring at a massive crater in the street. The entire town was torn apart by the blast, likely having killed many residents in the process. As Zeref rose to his feet, his gaze searched for Natsu, panic slowly rising when he did not see the dragon slayer at first.

That panic faded away into confusion as a flame covered fist slammed into his back, sending him flying forward into the center of the crater, right by Irene's massive claws. "That's for trying to fire me, your majesty. However, I do owe you my thanks. This body is a much better suit for me, though I will admit, it will take some getting used to," Natsu's voice said, but with those words, it became clear to him what had just occurred.

"You…you enchanted yourself into Natsu," Zeref stated, his voice quiet as his head leaned forward, resting his chin on his chest.

Irene smiled in Natsu's body, flexing his muscles and testing out the flexibility of her new form. "Of course. He was highly compatible with me, considering we were both dragon slayers. In the end, I guess that's why it didn't work with my own child, but I suppose his power will have to do instead."

Zeref was avoiding her gaze, still staring into his lap as his hands clenched into fists on the ground by his sides. "Yes, I suppose that would be correct," he stated, his calmness becoming rather disturbing. "In fact, your power does far more than you can possibly imagine."

Irene frowned at him, not quite understanding the hint. Her confusion was short-lived, however, because at that moment the dragon by Zeref began to move. "I'm huge! I don't know what happened, but now I'm going to squish you like a—hold on a sec, is that _me_ down there?" the dragon shouted, stumbling around and crushing what little remained of the buildings around the former guild hall.

"I told you before, Natsu, you did not stand a chance against Irene," Zeref stated, glancing over at him in his current state. "It appears as if we have an enchantment to break, since she will neither be willing nor capable of doing it in your body."

Natsu glanced over at Irene, his gaze narrowing as he moved closer to her. "I wouldn't do that if I were you. I really have no need for my former body. If you threaten me, I'll just destroy you with my new magic," she stated with a wide grin, a rather dark expression coming from Natsu's face.

Zeref rose to his feet, glancing over at Natsu with a sigh. "You planned for this. You knew I would protect him, thus you unleashed your breath attack to focus my magic on guarding his body while you performed your enchantment."

Irene smiled, nodding at Zeref. "Of course, though you must know that it was all for you. This boy is only leaving you far weaker than before, clouding your judgment and making you hesitate to act. I wouldn't be surprised if he's talked you out of the plans that founded this empire, breaking your resolve and ruining everything we stood for."

Zeref raised his hand towards the dragon by his side, replacing the enchantment on the beast that he had only just removed. "No, in this situation, you are interfering, Irene. Do you recall the plans I spoke to you of, the ones you helped to put into action four hundred years ago?"

Irene blinked at him, before her eyes went wide, staring down at the hands she now had. "I…but, I heard that Acnologia had…" she began.

Zeref nodded, looking serious as Natsu was back in human form, even if it still was Irene's body he was in. "Acnologia attacked, that is true, however, it was not yet time for action. That day will come when they are all united, Irene, and with your actions today, you may have just made such a thing impossible," Zeref stated, stepping towards her with a harsh glare on his face. "I told you before, do not anger me again. I promise you, once you are finally back in your own body, I shall bring you more despair than you have ever known in your life."

Natsu grabbed his arm, pulling him back with a glare on his face. "Not so fast. We've got a score to settle, regardless of what the hell is going on with me. Explain to me what she meant before, when she claimed you were starting a war against my friends."

Zeref focused his gaze on Natsu, his expression not nearly as harsh towards his friend. "I…it was not necessarily a plan to take over your country, if that is what you wish to know." he stated, seeing Natsu continue to glare at him with Irene's face. "There is something there that I wished to obtain at one time. It is well guarded, and I knew that in order to succeed, I would need a powerful army by my side."

"What are you after?" Natsu demanded, his arms crossed over his chest. "Sorry, but I can't trust you this time. I need to know exactly what your motives are, and maybe then we can figure out a way around this mess we're in."

Zeref nodded, his face miserable as he ran a hand through his hair. "If I tell you, you cannot speak of this to another soul. This information is dangerous, and in the wrong hands, it could be catastrophic."

Natsu nodded in agreement, still solemn and waiting for more. "I wished to obtain your guild's greatest secret, a weapon by the name of Fairy Heart. Only your guild master knows of its existence, the way it has been for centuries. I know due to my…connection with Mavis."

Natsu narrowed his eyes at Zeref, stepping forward threateningly. "So, you really were planning on attacking the guild. I should have listened to Gray back in Crocus. You really are—" he began, but Zeref cut Natsu off.

"Yes, I am. I have never once claimed to be anyone other than the black wizard, Natsu. I made these plans long ago, plans to obtain this power to activate a spell I only recently determined how to truly create. In the end, I decided there were other ways to move forward, ways that did not require such pointless actions. War between Fairy Tail and the Spriggan 12 would do nothing but bring despair to everyone involved."

Natsu focused on Zeref, eyeing the man carefully as they stood across from each other. "Alright, I believe you." Natsu said after a few moments, though he was still looking suspicious. "Still, there is something else I wanna know. What kind of spell were you planning on using?"

Zeref stood, rising to his feet and glancing over at Irene, whose hands were pressed against her stomach tightly, almost as if she were afraid. "A…variation on the Eclipse Gate. I intended on reliving my life, altering my past so I never made the mistake that resulted in my curse in the first place."

Natsu sighed, walking over and wrapping his arm around Zeref's shoulders with a grin. "Well, I guess its a good thing I came around when I did, huh? I mean, if you did that, Fairy Tail wouldn't exist anymore."

Zeref paused at the thought, slowly smiling and nodding at Natsu's words. "I suppose you are correct. Does this mean you are no longer angry with me?" Zeref asked, seeing the dragon slayer nod, rubbing the back of his head. He seemed to frown, getting irritated with the massive hat blocking his usually gesture.

"Man, this thing is annoying. Here, I'll trade you your hat back for my scarf." Natsu stated, holding the thing out towards her and waiting for the scarf to be given in return. Slowly, Irene unwrapped it from herself, pausing before handing it over to him.

"It…it's black. Wasn't it white before?" she asked.

Zeref nodded, glancing away slightly. "It is made of dragon scales. When my magic starts acting out around him, it absorbs the harmful effects of my curse and allows him to survive."

Irene let Natsu have it, looking rather impressed with the device as Natsu pulled it around his own neck. "Wendy'll fix it, she did it last time for me." he commented. "Anyway, as long as you keep your promise about dinner, I'd say we're all good! I'm still starving, though for some reason, it doesn't quite smell as good as before."

Irene glanced over at him, sighing as she moved forward through town. "That's because you are a dragon now. Your sense of taste isn't the same as it is in a human body, as are many of your other senses. I told you before, I really didn't want to keep that body…but I think I will take it back, now that I know what I really traded it away for," she insisted, shuddering slightly.

"Well, I guess that'll suck. Either way, I still get to be huge and crush anyone who stands in my way! That'll be awesome, seeing everyone back home running in fear of the mighty dragon Natsu!" he declared, before he began to look even more mischievous. "Oh yes, I shall show Erza a taste of her medicine! I'm coming to prove to you who really is the scariest wizard in all of Fairy Tail!"

Irene froze at that name, her eyes wide at the mention of it while Zeref glared at her. "No, I forbid you to go after her. I told you before, I have no intentions of starting a war in this era, though I will stop my own creations from destroying this world."

Irene nodded slowly, finally listening to her emperor's orders without complaint. "Huh, what did I miss?" Natsu asked, gazing between the two of them in confusion. "Do you know Erza or something? I didn't think anyone had come to this place from Fairy Tail, I mean, I hadn't even heard of it before Zeref brought me here."

"Erza is…well at the moment, I suppose you could say she is _your_ daughter." Zeref stated, giving Natsu a slight smile. The dragon slayer glanced down at himself, seeming to only now grasp the concept that he truly was Irene in all aspects of his body.

He focused back on Irene, who stood staring off into the distance in Natsu's own form. "Oh crap! Change us back now, there's no way I'm dealing with Erza as her mother," he insisted, nearing a panic at the idea.

"It isn't so simple to do so. In essence, we need someone to recreate the enchantment Irene used to trade your bodies. That requires someone with great skill in enchantment magic, something which you lack the knowledge in, while Irene now lacks the ability to utilize," Zeref stated.

Natsu seemed to only just realize this side of the spell as well, gazing down at his hands with wide eyes. "Wait, I don't have my magic anymore! Damn it, what the hell made you think this was a good idea?" Natsu demanded, glaring over at Irene.

"You do realize that anything you do to me is technically being done to yourself, right?" she asked, seeing him back off, crossing his arms over his chest. "Honestly, I can't believe that there was a dragon slayer so stupid in this world. My plan was to take your body so I could truly live again, it hardly mattered to me what happened to my own body once I gained what I was looking for."

"Yeah, about that. How the hell is being in my body interfering with whatever plan you have for Acnologia?" Natsu asked, focusing on Zeref.

The black wizard hesitated, but it was clear there was no way out of this explanation now. "It is complicated, to say the least," Zeref stated after a few moments. "Simply put, four hundred years ago, five dragon slayers and the dragons training them were selected to be our hope for the future battle against Acnologia. They were sent through the Eclipse Gate to this era to finish off the dragon that no one could defeat so long ago."

Natsu stared at Zeref in shock. "Wait…so you're saying I came here from the past to kill Acnologia?" he asked.

Zeref shook his head, unsure of how to tell him this part. "Not quite. In reality, you dragon slayers were needed in the event that our main plan failed. The five of you were our back-up plan, while the actual dragons who came with you were the real weapon to defeat him."

Natsu nodded, gazing at the ground thoughtfully. "Oh, I see. I guess that's why you won't tell me where they are, huh? They're off waiting for the right time to strike back, when there's no way they could possibly lose against him."

Zeref gazed at him, glad that Irene was being silent for once about these things. "That's one way of looking at it, I suppose," he commented, seeing Natsu nod and grin over at him.

"Well, as long as he's out there, I don't care how long I have to wait. I'll fight Acnologia myself if that's what it takes to get Igneel back," Natsu declared, seeing Irene look at him as if he were insane. "I mean, with you fighting by my side along with all of Fairy Tail, there's no way we could lose."

Zeref nodded in agreement, moving to leave Shalir. They would have to find that meal elsewhere, with the destruction of the town. "Natsu…I shall give you your reward once you have your body back. For now, let us return to Vistarion. There, we will look into a way to undo Irene's enchantment, and hopefully, return things to normal before it is too late."

 **Please review and tell me what you think!**


	23. Chapter 23

**Disclaimer:** I am not the owner of Fairy Tail

Zeref made the return trip much quicker with his teleportation magic, but that did not make finding a reversal for their situation any quicker. Irene and Natsu had now spent nearly a month in each other's bodies, and they were no where closer to a solution. Zeref was tiring of attempting to show Natsu the art of enchantment, especially when the dragon slayer got bored with the topic in a matter of minutes. Irene wasn't helping either, enjoying her time in the fire dragon slayer's body until they finally found a way to return them to normal.

With no other options, Zeref was going on a trip today, with Natsu in tow. He did not know what others would make of this, but he hoped that someone in Fairy Tail may be able to help him where he had failed. His empire had many wizards, all of them powerful in their own right, but none of them were capable of enchantments even coming near Irene's level of skill. Thus, they needed a true master, and Zeref could only hope that they would find one there.

"Is it sad that I'm getting used to being a girl? I mean, these things were heavy at first, but now I'm kind of used to them." Natsu commented, gesturing to his chest rather carelessly as they prepared to leave. Both of their scarves were still black, since the dragon slayer had not yet found the chance to go back until now and get it healed.

Zeref sighed, watching as Natsu finished packing a bag of his belongings. He had not brought much with him to this place, and as such, there was little for him to gather now. He had a few changes of clothes, something that he had realized quite quickly that girls had a tons of. Irene's closet had been filled with so many things to wear; he really didn't know what to do with most of it. Typically, Natsu chose the simplest clothes to deal with as possible, which didn't always mean he was looking fashionable as a result. The only constant was the scarf he kept around his neck, despite Zeref's protests. The magic contained would hinder any healing of Natsu's, but the dragon slayer always wrote it off, claiming he would not be doing any fighting for a while anyway.

"You've been Irene for quite some time now. It is only natural that your body would adjust to that change." Zeref commented. "Though, I imagine your magic is still suffering as a result. Spells of that nature take quite some time to master. Irene simply understood far more about dragon slaying magic when she performed her spell, which allowed her to continue to use even your magic once the trade was finished."

Natsu nodded, sighing in disappointment. "Yeah, I get that. What I don't understand is why I have to drag around this big stick with me everywhere." he complained, holding out Irene's staff.

"It aids with her enchantments, as well as serving as a weapon when she has no other form of defense. Her spells are powerful but they are not always offensive in nature and thus she does have to rely on her expertise in battle to defeat her opponents." Zeref explained.

"Either way, I think it's just annoying carrying it around so much." Natsu stated, tossing it aside and turning towards Zeref. "I won't really need it back at Fairy Tail, so I might as well just leave it here for now."

Zeref debated arguing against it, but in the end, it would be rather pointless to bring the weapon. Natsu was not capable of utilizing it for magic, nor did he have the training to battle with it as a weapon. It truly was just in the way for the dragon slayer, so instead of arguing, Zeref reached out to take Natsu's hand. "Very well, are you ready for our travels again? It will be much like when I brought you here. We will likely arrive close to Magnolia, though I cannot guarantee bringing us exactly to the guild."

Natsu nodded, giving Zeref a grin. "I'll get us there once we're close. I may not have the rest of my spells, but my nose is just as sharp as ever." Natsu insisted.

Zeref nodded, focusing his magic on creating the teleportation circle beneath their feet. It glowed a dark black light around them, slowly illuminating the room they were in before both of them vanished from within the halls of the castle in Vistarion. Instead, they now stood in the center of a rather crowded town. People jumped at the sudden appearance of two individuals in the street, but most of them moved on quickly with their daily lives.

A few continued staring simply due to the unusual appearance of the newcomers. Zeref wasn't all that strange, with his typical robe and black scarf, but Natsu was a different story. His outfit was a mismatched shirt of some form, pure white that tightly hugged his body, and black leggings that did much the same. Irene was known for wearing far more revealing clothing than just this at times, but the tightness of the outfit made it almost as bad as some of her own outfits.

Natsu didn't seem to notice the attention, grinning with excitement as he saw the familiar city. "This is so much better than the train. You've gotta show me how to use this teleportation magic of yours. If I learn that, I'll never have to ride another train again."

Zeref nodded, though he didn't know if he would find the chance to do such a thing. "Our focus first is to return you and Irene to your former bodies, before Tartaros makes their move on Ishgar."

Natsu nodded, having discussed this with Invel, August, and Irene a few weeks ago. As a last resort, Irene would fight in his body against Tartaros, but it would be dangerous regardless of who did the fighting. Zeref could end the demons' lives quickly, but Natsu was determined to prove that he was strong enough to do it alone. Having Irene destroy them in his own body was close enough for Natsu to accept as his own victory, which was why their back-up plan was to have Irene do just that.

"It feels good to be back, even if I'm not myself at the moment," Natsu commented, moving through the familiar streets of Magnolia.

Zeref nodded, though he was not quite familiar with the feeling. "I don't think I am someone who can relate to such sentiments. I have not had a place that I truly call home since even before I became immortal."

Natsu seemed surprised to hear this, glancing over at Zeref with a frown. "Why? I mean, didn't you have a family or something back then?"

Zeref nodded, his expression a bit distant. "I was an only child, and my family perished when I was young. There is a reason I dislike war so much, Natsu. I was born in a time of strife, and I suppose that desire for peace from then still lingers with me today."

The dragon slayer patted Zeref's back, giving him a grin. "Yeah, well we've got plenty of things to do to keep yourself calm here. I mean, sure we've got problems with dark guilds and Acnologia, but there are also fun moments with our friends."

Zeref found himself smiling in agreement. While he had not left his castle much during the last month, he had spent a great deal of time with Natsu. Not only did they study magic to attempt to determine a way to teach him enchantments, Natsu also found ways to distract Zeref after so long. Sometimes, the dragon slayer would be foolish enough to attempt a brawl even without his magic. It didn't always end well, considering how overprotective the Spriggan 12 could be of their emperor.

When that was not enough, Natsu busied himself with trying to make food in the kitchens. He was not the greatest cook, but from what he had seen, the dragon slayer was attempting to determine how to make something that didn't taste quite as strange with his new tastebuds. As far as Zeref was aware, he had not succeeded in that task, but it did not prevent him from trying. Sometimes, Zeref would join the dragon slayer in his attempts, though he did not know if his presence was helpful or not to the task at hand.

None of that was quite as enjoyable as the weekend Natsu decided Zeref needed to get away from the castle and all of his reading and his problems. He had quite literally dragged the black wizard away from the others, pulling Zeref out to a rather remote area of his kingdom. It had been a quiet forest, filled with pine trees with needles littering the ground. In front of them had been a massive lake, and when Zeref only stared at it, Natsu had handed him a fishing pole. It became quite a shock for Natsu to learn that Zeref had never actually gone fishing before, which led to the dragon slayer showing the black wizard just how to operate the fishing pole and actually catch fish on the trip. He had not been all that successful, but the area had been peaceful, and he found it oddly comforting being near Natsu, even if he was trapped in Irene's body.

"Yo, Zeref? You look kind of thoughtful right now. What's on your mind?" Natsu asked, getting Zeref's attention once more.

The black wizard blinked, a bit startled by Natsu's voice before he smiled. "Sorry, I suppose I am just reminiscing about the past. It is not often that I find myself capable of focusing on happier times in my past."

Natsu grinned over at Zeref, pulling the wizard along towards the doors of Fairy Tail. "Well, you better get used to it. I'm going to be sticking around for a while now. You've kind of grown on me, Zeref, and I've still got a lot to learn from you," he insisted, glancing towards the door as he walked into his old guild.

Inside was a typical sight for Fairy Tail. Cana was sitting on one of the long tables inside, chugging a barrel of beer while surrounded by a few of the men of the guild. Some of them were cheering her on, while others were attempting to drink alongside her. Around a different table, Elfman and Lisana were present, sitting next to Gray as they spoke within the guild. As usual, Gray lost his clothes at some point during the conversation and had to put them back on before things could go back to normal.

Mira was behind the bar counter, with Lucy sitting on one of the stools. Wendy stood next to her, staring out at the guild while the Exceed gathered in a corner of the guild, interacting amongst themselves. Few of them even noticed the entrance of Zeref and Natsu, but after a few moments, people began to turn and see them here.

While Natsu's new face was unfamiliar to those in front of him, Zeref was well remembered to the wizards here. "No way, it's Zeref." Gray whispered, his eyes wide.

"He's finally come to face us like a real man!" Elfman declared, rising to his feet with a glare on his face.

Others began to murmur as well, some of their comments harsh and cruel, while others were just confused. "Zeref…" Lucy whispered from her seat at the bar, while Mira remained still where she stood.

Seeing Lucy as the best option out of the wizards he had spotted, Zeref slowly moved towards her, keeping his gaze watchful of the others. "Man, I forgot about this. I guess I kind of get why you isolated yourself on that island for so long now." Natsu commented under his breath, looking uncomfortable with the way the guild was eying him as well.

"I am sorry, I know this is not the reunion you had hoped for with your friends," Zeref replied, seeing Natsu slowly shrug it off, smiling over at Zeref.

"Nah, it's not a big deal. I mean, the look on Gray's face was priceless. In fact, I think it would have been better if I looked like you when I came in. Then, we could have made him twice as terrified!" Natsu insisted rather evilly, snickering under his breath.

Zeref sighed, though a smile remained on his face at the dragon slayer's words. "Uh, hi Zeref! I didn't, uh, I mean, I wasn't expecting you!" Lucy said nervously, glancing around at the others for help. The wizards looked prepared to fight, close enough to attack if necessary but holding back for now.

"I am sorry for disturbing you, but I have a rather strange request to make of your guild." Zeref asked, watching as Natsu took the seat next to Lucy, grinning as he waved over at her.

"Hey, Luce, it's been a long time, hasn't it?" he commented with a grin. It had taken Zeref a while to get used to seeing that expression in Irene's face, but he was familiar with it now, much like he had gotten used to Natsu's face wearing Irene's cruel expressions.

Lucy blinked at him, leaning back in her chair. "I'm sorry, do I know you?" she asked, while Zeref glanced over at Natsu, unsure of how to explain this to them.

"Yes, though it is a long story," Zeref replied, gazing around the guild. There were plenty of powerful wizards here, however, it was always a struggle to determine if any of them had the right type of magic he needed. "I came here in search of an enchanter. There is a spell we are struggling to undo, and I had hoped someone here would be capable of at least learning the process of undoing it."

"Well, that's strange. I mean, I can't really imagine Natsu doing anything that would require magic like that. He's normally a bit more reckless." Lucy commented with a smile. "I never thought I'd say this, but you might be a good influence on him."

"I'm the one helping him, Lucy! Why are you always blaming me for stuff like this?" Natsu demanded, hearing the implied words in Lucy's comment.

Lucy blinked at him, unsure of what to make of his comment without an explanation. "This is why he is seeking someone with that power. He angered a powerful enchantress a little over a month ago, and ever since then, they've been trapped in each other's bodies," Zeref explained.

Lucy's eyes went wide for a moment, before she burst out laughing at Natsu. "Wait, that's Natsu!" she cried, laughing as she leaned over and wrapped an arm around her stomach. "Well, at least you make a pretty girl!" she added, laughing even more. Even Mira began smiling, giggling slightly behind the counter as she hid her mouth under her hand.

"Well, if we're looking at the full picture, Lucy, I'd say they make the perfect couple." Mira added with a smile, only making Lucy laugh even harder as Zeref glanced away at the insinuation.

Natsu glared at her, not pleased with her words. "Hey, don't joke about that. Zeref isn't all that good with making friends in the first place and I don't want you messing up all the progress he's made so far," Natsu insisted.

Mira blinked in surprise, while Lucy also stopped her laughter. Leaning closer to Lucy, Mira tried to be discreet about whispering to the other girl, but even without dragon hearing abilities, Zeref could hear her. "Hey, Lucy, is it just me or does Natsu actually like him?"

Natsu growled under his breath, looking quite irritated as Zeref remained calm, staring down at the counter and waiting for the two to finish gossiping. "I don't know…he's really protective of Zeref, but there's just something so weird about the idea of Natsu being interested in anybody," Lucy replied, trying to mimic Mira's quietness.

"If you plan on discussing me, I do believe I'd prefer your discussion to be out in the open. It is tedious to deal with people starting rumors of that nature without confirming if they are true or not," Zeref commented, seeing both girls blush slightly and stand up.

Mira gave him a bright smile, rubbing the back of her head. "Sorry about that. I'm just not used to seeing Natsu get so protective of his friends when he's not out fighting some monster," she commented.

Zeref nodded, trying to get them focused back on the problem. "Regardless of that, I still wish to know if you have anyone capable of using enchantment magic. The spell surrounding Natsu and Irene is far more powerful than it appears, and it will take someone with great power to undo it."

"Well, to be honest, I don't really think I've heard of a spell that does this for so long. I mean, we had a few members of our guild suffer from a body switching spell a few years back, and it just wore off." Mira commented, glancing over at Natsu. "I'm certain this one will be the same."

Zeref shook his head, folding his hands on the bar counter. "This spell was designed to be permanent, a way for Irene to take Natsu's body for her own. She…has reasons to wish to be someone other than herself, and the most compatible for the spell she used is a dragon slayer."

Mira was about to reply, but the guild seemed to have other ideas. "Hey, Black Wizard! Are you really going to just barge into our guild and ignore the rest of us?" Cana called out, grinning over at him with a cup in hand. She was still sitting on her table with a barrel of booze, but the cup was new, held out towards Zeref. "Come on, have a drink with me! If you can outdrink me, I might decide to let you stay without a fight."

Macao and Wakaba were looking horrified at the idea, glancing over at Zeref and shaking their heads violently. "Don't do it! There's only one person I've ever seen outdrink Cana, and he was insane!" Macao shouted in warning.

"Cut it out, you freaks. If he's going to be dealing with anyone, I think it should be me." Gray insisted, rising to his feet with his arms over his chest.

Cana glared over at Gray, clearly irritated with him cutting in. "Gray, I challenged him first. Also, put some clothes on before starting a fight."

Zeref was getting even more irritated with them, wondering just how to stop their ceaseless requests without wasting time. Others tried to bring their own challenges, some more ridiculous than others, but all of them grew silent when a woman with long scarlet hair began walking through the guild, glaring at the other members. "Enough. If Zeref had come here for a fight, he would have started one already. Now, I'd like to enjoy my strawberry cake in peace." she ordered, but as she sat down at a table with her cake, her gaze noticed Natsu at the bar by Lucy.

She stared at him for a moment, before sitting down and focusing on her food. Zeref could see that her gaze would still flicker towards Natsu, aware of their similarities and wondering where they came from. "This is why I had hoped to be quick." Zeref commented, turning back towards Mira.

"Alright, what's all this fuss about? I'm tired and it's been a long day, why can't you children just let an old man rest?" an old man complained, walking out into the main floor of the guild hall. This was their guild master, and his gaze quickly settled on Zeref and Natsu at the counter. "It can't be…Irene?"

Makarov made his way over to them, glaring harshly at Zeref. "Are you insane, bringing her here? Do you know what the Alvarez Empire wants?" Makarov demanded, not giving Zeref a chance to speak. "I may tolerate many things, and you may be the black wizard, but bringing her here puts all of my children at risk. Do you really wish to start a war with our guild?"

Zeref finally saw his chance to intervene, and it may be good timing for once. Makarov was aware of the Spriggan Twelve and their power, so perhaps he would understand the severity of the enchantment on Natsu. "There is no need for another pointless battle, for multiple reasons. The one you would be most concerned with is the fact that this is not truly Irene."

Makarov frowned, gazing over at the scarlet haired woman next to Zeref. "Well, then who is she? There aren't many people that can match that magical aura, and out of them, even fewer are female," he demanded.

Zeref nodded in agreement, tilting his head to his side. "I agree, I believe only August could truly compete with her in terms of strength," he commented, seeing Makarov frown even further. "Irene, however, is the problem at the moment. Are you aware of her own personal desires, as well?"

Makarov shook his head. "Her personal business is not for me to know. My concern is with the threat they pose to my family, and if she wishes to fight, I will gladly rise and stand in battle against even the strongest of wizards."

"I am aware of that fact, however, Irene's own desire is to find a suitable body to replace her own with." Zeref stated, seeing Makarov's gaze flicker over to Irene warily. "A dragon slayer is the only type of wizard that would be compatible with her for that spell, however, she realized now that her true objective would be to find what you call a 'second generation' dragon slayer."

Makarov gazed over at Irene, seeming to realize what this meant. "Then…is that…Natsu?" Makarov demanded.

Natsu grinned over at him, giving the guild master a wave. "What's up, gramps? It's been a while!"

Makarov looked serious now, glancing between the two of them. "Is there a way to reverse it?"

Zeref nodded, frowning slightly. "Yes, but the issue comes with finding someone capable of doing so. This spell switches far more than just their bodies, they also contain the magic of each other at the moment. While Irene had no issue adapting to being a fire dragon slayer, Natsu appears to struggle with learning the concepts behind enchantment."

Makarov nodded, folding his hands behind his back. "I see…so you need someone capable of performing enchantments that is nearly as powerful as Irene herself."

Zeref shook his head, glancing around at the others. "The wizard does not necessarily need to have Irene's power. What is truly necessary is a strong grasp of enchantment magic, and the capability of understanding such a complex spell." he explained.

"Tell me, what were you two doing over there in the first place? Natsu wouldn't know any better, but I thought you'd understand why they are dangerous." Makarov asked, while Zeref gave the guild master a small smile.

"They were meant to be loyal and obedient, however, it seems as if I am not the tactician Mavis is when it comes to gauging people's emotions." Zeref stated calmly, glancing over at Natsu. "If you wish to know why we were there, I suppose it is quite simple. I had been away for too long and I needed to assert my control over them once more."

Makarov didn't seem to understand what he was saying, so Natsu clarified. "That place wasn't dangerous at all, Gramps! With Zeref as their emperor, there was nothing for me to worry about. I could've destroyed an entire city and gotten away with no charge," he said cheerfully.

Zeref glanced over at Natsu, raising his eyebrows at the boy. "Natsu, you do realize that you did in fact destroy Shalir. I will admit, Irene helped, but it is beyond repair after that battle."

The dragon slayer frowned, crossing his arms over his chest in irritation. "That's not my fault! She tricked me, how was I supposed to know she was a dragon?"

"Natsu, enough!" Makarov stated, his face withdrawn and serious as he focused on Zeref. "Are you truly their emperor? The one seeking out war with Ishgar?"

"Perhaps at one point that had been my plan, but I've since changed my mind," Zeref commented. "I no longer desire to make use of the spell that would have required such a war, so starting the battle would be pointless."

Makarov understood this subtle hint, nodding gravely and glancing down at the floor. Zeref could sense it even from here, though it was clear that he had done something to mask its presence. Fairy Heart could not be contained so easily, and Zeref found it somewhat strange being so close to it, yet not wishing to do anything to find its exact location.

Mira and Lucy were both looking uncomfortable and confused, not sure as to what this was about. "Uh, right. Well, if you're looking for someone who can use enchantments, there is Wendy," Lucy said at last, trying to break up the tension.

Zeref glanced over at the celestial wizard, nodding slightly. "Good, it seems I was correct that you would have such a wizard here."

"Well, I don't know if she can do what you need, though." Lucy added, glancing over at Mira who nodded in agreement, cleaning off one of the glasses behind the counter.

"Wendy is one of the youngest members of our guild." Mira stated, pointing over to a young child with long blue hair. "She has strong enchantments, but I don't know if she can reverse something like this."

Zeref observed the girl for a moment, seeing that she had moved to join the Exceed in the guild. She was talking with a small white cat, laughing at some joke with the other cats around her. Her magical power was strong, and as he focused more on it, he realized another familiar trait in that power. "She…she's a dragon slayer." Zeref stated, glancing over at Natsu. "We may have found an even better wizard than I first thought we would for this task."

"Wait, why would being a dragon slayer matter?" Lucy asked, frowning in confusion. "Don't tell me…does this have to do with Natsu's comment about her being a dragon? He wasn't serious about that, was he?" she asked, focusing on the dragon slayer at the moment. As Irene, he truly did not look like much. He wasn't capable of fighting with magic, nor could he battle with weapons, but there was one thing Natsu had discovered how to do.

He grinned, looking eager to show her but Zeref put a hand on his arm, shaking his head. "If you do that here, you will destroy your guild hall." Zeref commented, seeing the dragon slayer seem to realize this now. "As for Irene, she is a dragon slayer herself, though of a sort much different than Natsu. I met her centuries ago, after she lost her human form and became a dragon herself."

Lucy stared at them with wide eyes. "Then…how is she…or he….human now?" she asked, glancing over at Natsu.

"Oh, that's Zeref's magic. I don't know how it works, but he's really good at transformation spells like this," Natsu stated with a grin.

Zeref nodded, aware of his own skill in the matter. He glanced over at Makarov, seeing the guild leader observing them calmly. As strong as Makarov was, both of them knew of the issue with leaving Natsu like this at the moment. "Wendy, could you come over here for a moment?" Makarov called out, trying to keep some focus on the matter at hand.

The sky dragon slayer stood up, nodding and moving closer to the group gathered at the bar counter in the guild. Others had resumed their normal activities, now that it was clear that Makarov was handling the problem of Zeref. "Is something wrong? Wait…that's Natsu's scarf? Why is it tainted like that again?" she asked, seeing the scarf around Zeref's neck.

Before he could say anything in response, the girl had pulled it off, closing her eyes with her hand on the fabric. Zeref watched calmly as its usual white patter returned, amazed that she could do such a thing. "You really shouldn't take this from Natsu. It's really important to him." she told Zeref.

The black wizard nodded, glancing next to him at the real Natsu. "I am aware, however, that scarf was the one that had belonged to Future Natsu. If you wish to speak with the Natsu you know, he is currently trapped in Irene's body," Zeref explained, watching her follow his gaze towards Natsu as well.

"Wait…that's Natsu? Hey, your scarf is tainted too! Honestly, what are you two doing that keeps absorbing such harmful magic?"

Zeref glanced away, focusing on the ground. "Natsu is refusing to grasp the dangers of being near me, and as for me…I suppose I have not quite finalized the proper means of holding life and death in equal value."

Wendy blinked at him, looking lost on what his words meant. "Nah, you're doing great! I don't think your magic's done much of anything since Irene did this to us," Natsu insisted, patting Zeref's shoulder with a grin. "Anyway, we were hoping you could actually undo this little mess I've gotten myself into. Some crazy lady decided to take my body, and I've gotta get it back."

Wendy glanced over at them, frowning as she studied Zeref and Natsu. "I..I don't know…" she began, trailing off. "I've never done magic like this. I guess, I'll have to try. I promise, I'll keep trying until I find a way to get you back, Natsu."

 **I've had a pretty bad day today. Life just has a way of letting everything build up...and for personal reasons, I am feeling pretty awful at the moment. So, any kind words you have will be much appreciated. As usual, please review and tell me what you think.**


	24. Chapter 24

**Disclaimer:** I am not the owner of Fairy Tail

Zeref, Natsu, and Wendy had moved into the guild's magic library, where Zeref observed the girl as she studied the notes he had made before leaving. Natsu was sitting next to Zeref, looking extremely bored as he leaned over the table, waiting for Wendy to finish.

"These notes…you really looked into this a lot." Wendy commented, frowning as she studied the spell. It was made by both Zeref and Irene, using her own spell as the basis for describing the process to reverse it. In essence, Wendy would have to perform a similar enchantment, forcing Natsu's soul to become a part of his own body once more. "I can't believe there was another wizard like me, who knew so much more about this kind of magic. Can Irene heal, too? I mean, I know its a lost magic, but…" Wendy was asking, curiosity in her gaze.

Zeref shook his head, gazing across the table at her. "No, to my knowledge, you are the only person alive capable of performing healing magic." Zeref stated. His gaze turned away, thoughtful for a moment as he closed his eyes, debating with something internally for a moment. He remembered Sonora, the girl who only wished to be his friend, and what she thought he could do. "However…if you wish to learn more about healing, I do understand the concepts behind such spells."

Natsu blinked at Zeref, startled by the admission. "Wait, you know healing magic? When did you learn that?"

Zeref glanced away, uncomfortable with the topic. "It was originally what I wished to specialize my magic in," he said quietly. His gaze flickered over to Wendy, looking a bit more serious and less distant. "My mistake was researching too deeply into the healing arts, in a way. Do not delve too deeply, Wendy, because there are some wounds that aren't meant to be healed."

The sky dragon slayer nodded, smiling over at Zeref. "That's fine, I'd be happy if I could learn anything more. It would mean a lot, being able to help everybody when I'm truly needed."

Natsu was focused on Zeref, his eyes narrowed before he shrugged, turning back towards Wendy with a small smile. "You already help out plenty! After all, you're helping right now by breaking this enchantment for us, right?"

Wendy nodded, smiling in return. "Right. This spell, though…do you really think I am capable of something this powerful?" she asked, turning towards Zeref with concern in her eyes.

The black wizard studied her for a moment, nodding once he completed his assessment. "You have a lot of potential. All that is missing is the confidence required to yield your power," he stated. "Irene's enchantments are strong, but they are not impossible to break. Your power is akin to her own, both of you being dragon slayers capable of enchantments. As such, you should both be capable of utilizing each other's magic, if given the time to learn it."

Natsu scowled at this, crossing his arms over his chest as he leaned back in his chair. "If it's so easy for Wendy, why the hell can't I learn this magic of hers?"

Zeref glanced over at Natsu, shaking his head. "Your magic is naturally destructive in nature, used for brute force rather than subtlety. Irene's is not meant to be used in that manner, thus the spells are quite different from what you are used to."

Wendy nodded, looking apologetic as she turned towards Natsu. "Sorry, but he does have a point. You do go a little overboard sometimes. Besides, if you two think I can do this, then I know I can too," she stated, focusing down on the spell. "But…to cast it, won't I need both Natsu and Irene to be present?"

Zeref nodded, folding his hands on the table in front of him. "Yes, I do intend on doing so. However, I am not willing to bring Irene here at the moment," he stated, glancing over at Natsu. "I cannot reveal the details as to why, but it would not be wise to allow Irene into Fairy Tail. Your master was correct to view her as dangerous, Wendy. I do hope that you can manage to avoid angering her."

Wendy looked a bit nervous at that, fidgeting in her seat. "Wait…so, I'm going with you?" she asked, frowning. "I…I don't know, I haven't really gone on a job that far away before."

"I've been over there for more than a month! It's great, you'll love it in that castle, Wendy. There's a ton of delicious food, and there are these really strong wizards that even I can't beat," Natsu insisted, glancing around the library for a moment before leaning closer to her. "In fact, I think that some of them might be even stronger than Erza."

"Speaking of Erza, that is one name that you would be wise to avoid mentioning when you come to my castle," Zeref stated. "Irene…she has a complicated past, and while Erza may not recall what occurred, Irene still holds a grudge against your comrade."

Natsu frowned at that, aware of slightly more than Wendy, but Zeref was relieved that he did not say anything. It would likely be better if their relationship remained hidden, to prevent further dilemmas. Most people would want to search for their parents if they just learned who they were. If Erza did that, she would likely find herself in battle with the woman who blamed her for being incapable of saving Irene from a life as a dragon.

Wendy only nodded in agreement, rising to her feet with a smile. "Well, then let's get going. The sooner we get to Nats—er, Irene, the sooner I can get to work."

Zeref glanced at her, tilting his head as Natsu began to glare at his fellow dragon slayer. "Did you just nearly mistake Irene for Natsu?" Zeref questioned, rather confused by the concept.

Natsu was in agreement, rather upset as he moved to stand next to Zeref. "I'm nothing like her. That chick is crazy."

Wendy gave Natsu an embarrassed smile, laughing it off. "Sorry, Natsu! You look just don't look like yourself right now," she stated, while Zeref moved towards her.

She looked surprised, having Zeref so close to her, and she was even more uncomfortable when he moved to grab her hand, holding Natsu's in his other hand. "I do not think I would make such a mistake, regardless of his appearance. Natsu is far more…friendly than Irene, to say the least," Zeref commented, smiling slightly.

Wendy nodded, glancing away with a slight smile. Just as Zeref was about to leave, three wizards came rushing into the library. "Hey, wait up! We want to help too!" Lucy shouted towards them, making Zeref glance over at the group.

"Master told us you were planning to return once Wendy read through your notes," Erza commented, seeing Zeref's confusion. "I do believe it would be best for us to stay together, considering the dangers of this other empire you come from."

Zeref saw Lucy and Gray nod in agreement, smiling and eager to leave. Zeref had released Wendy and Natsu as well, no longer wishing to teleport away like before. "Lucy and Gray may come, however, it would not be wise for you to join us, Erza."

"Why is that?" she demanded, frowning as she focused on Zeref. "I hold no more threat to your empire than my comrades, and in many ways, I am better suited to holding my ground against other wizards. I do believe I am quite capable of aiding in this job of Wendy's, especially since we are a part of her team in the guild."

"Just listen to her, you don't want to make Erza angry," Natsu whispered into Zeref's ear, looking a bit intimidated by the woman.

Zeref closed his eyes, thinking for a moment over the new situation. He could sense her power, and she did have a valid point. In comparison to the others around her, she was quite strong. Still, it would not be enough to win against Irene if it came down to a battle, since the other woman had centuries of experience to draw from that Erza lacked.

Something else came to his awareness as he thought, making Zeref's eyes flash open and focus on the entrance to the room again. "First, what are you doing here?" Gray demanded, seeing what Zeref could not. "Uh…I don't know if that's a good idea….I mean, he can't see you," he added, in reply to something Mavis had stated.

Zeref focused on them, narrowing his eyes before he sighed. "If Mavis wishes to come, be sure she understands the risks first. Even if my goals have changed, not all of the Spriggan Twelve agree with my new path," he stated. "As for you, Erza, if you insist on coming, I suppose I cannot stop you. Be warned, there is a high likelihood that you in particular will find yourself in battle with one of my guards. Each and every one of them is trained to rival, if not beat, the strength of your wizard saints. Do not say I didn't warn you."

"Wait…are they really that strong?" Lucy asked, looking a bit intimidated by his words.

Zeref nodded, gazing over at them calmly with Natsu and Wendy near him. "Yes, I had trained them to start a war one day. While those plans have since changed, it does not alter their strength in any form."

Gray smirked over at him, looking confident as Erza stood next to him. "Well, it just looks like we'll have a bit of a challenge then, if they really will go after Erza. Just what is their deal with her anyway?" Gray asked, moving closer to Zeref with his friends behind him.

"I'd kind of like to know, too. I mean, you said that I wasn't supposed to talk about her when we got there…" Wendy stated uncomfortably, avoiding his gaze when Zeref turned towards her.

The black wizard sighed, glancing over at Natsu who shrugged. "They're gonna find out either way, Zeref. I mean, I don't really get why Irene's so pissed at Erza, but she is likely going to explain it in some form when they meet."

Glancing back at the others, Zeref nodded in agreement. "Indeed she will, and she will not be pleasant when she does," he commented, glancing back at Erza with schooled calmness in his gaze. "If you must know, Irene is Erza's mother, and for reasons you may or may not learn, she despises Erza and any mention of her within Vistarion," he explained, turning towards Erza with a bored expression "In essence, you remind her of something she wishes to ignore, despite the impossibility of such a thing."

"Wait, what is she trying to ignore? I mean, I'm her right now, so you'd think I'd have noticed what it is already."

Erza looked thoughtful as well, having recovered from her surprise quite well. "I agree, it does seem strange. She has never once even spoken to me. How could a child she never truly cared for remind her of such a painful past?"

"It is not my story to tell. If you wish to hear it, it must come from Irene herself, though I am doubtful of her willingness to share at the moment," Zeref stated, glancing around at their group.

Lucy walked closer, giving Zeref a smile in return. "Well, I guess we can't really ask you to explain someone else's past to us," she commented, turning towards her friends. "Either way, I think we're still going together. We're a team after all, and in a guild, teams stick together no matter how dangerous things get."

Zeref nodded, stepping back as the others gathered around him. "So, what's next? How are we all getting to this Alvarez Empire of yours?" Gray demanded, looking a bit uncomfortable with speaking to Zeref.

The black wizard knelt on the ground, pressing his palm to the floor. "I shall simply alter my spell. Teleportation in larger groups consumes more energy, but some of that can be limited through the use of more complex magic circles," he explained, watching the others gather around him as a black, intricate circle appeared on the ground at their feet.

"You know, you're not what I expected you to be," Gray said as the spell began to activate, leaving Zeref frowning at the boy. They were blinded by a shining light that encircled them all, taking them away from the library and to Vistarion, standing at the entrance to the castle. "I mean, I always thought the Black Wizard would be cruel, but you just seem….depressed. How can I hate you, when you seem to punish yourself more than anyone else I've ever met?

"I told ya, Gray, Zeref isn't a bad guy. You were the ones who insisted otherwise," Natsu complained, glancing over at Zeref who was looking withdrawn, quiet as they spoke. "He's…he just has a lot going on, that's all."

There was a slight pause within them, one that left both Natsu and Zeref staring at them in confusion until Lucy's next outburst. "What? How the hell is Zeref anything like you?"

"Who are you talking to, Luce? There's no one there," Natsu asked, seeing the other four wizards blink at him in confusion.

Zeref sighed, realizing he had to explain this to them. "Natsu is in Irene's body, therefore, he does not bare the mark of your guild. Mavis' comments are going unheard to both of us. As far as our similarities go, I would prefer it if my past remained quiet, Mavis. I do not think your friends would take too kindly to learning of all the things I've done."

"What's in the past cannot be changed, all we can do is look forward to the future," Erza stated, glancing over at Zeref. "Perhaps you have made mistakes, just like we all have. We should not have attacked you the night the Eclipse Gate was opened, it was shameful of us to assume you were our enemy when you had aided us in closing the gate."

Lucy nodded, grabbing her arm and looking uncomfortable. "I should have done something to stop them…I mean, you closed the gate when Yukino and I failed to do so…" she said guiltily.

Zeref was beginning to feel uncomfortable with this, now, unused to people apologizing to him for their actions. "Well, I'm glad you're here now." Wendy stated with a smile. "After all, if it wasn't for you, I would have had to fight that massive dragon. I…I'm not much of a fighter, and I don't think I would have been able to handle him on my own. So, thank you for helping, even if you didn't do it for us."

Zeref didn't reply, too stunned for words as he stared at the other wizards blankly. Before long, Natsu's laughter echoed around them, a strange sound coming from Irene's mouth. "Yeah, that's his way of saying your welcome. Zeref isn't good with people, he spent way too much time alone on Tenrou Island to get used to talking to us," he explained, patting Zeref's back with a grin. "Anyway, I'd say it's time for us to make our way inside. We've got an interesting day ahead of us, right?"

Zeref gave him a slight nod, letting himself smile ever so slightly. It felt strange, interacting with these other wizards, but it was necessary to return Natsu to normal. Luckily, the dragon slayer was here in some form to keep him sane, otherwise, he would have no idea what to do around them. It was comforting to know that at least one person seemed to understand him, yet at the same time, it terrified him. Zeref only hoped he wasn't making a mistake by becoming close to the boy, risking Natsu's life in the process of trying to cope with his own lonely existence.

 **Lots of dialogue in this chapter and not a whole lot of plot...but it is helping set up what will come. Feel free to review and tell me what you think!**


	25. Chapter 25

**Disclaimer:** I am not the owner of Fairy Tail

Irene's reaction to Erza was interesting, to say the least. Zeref had watched the woman, still trapped within Natsu's body, as she froze, her gaze narrowing at the scarlet haired wizard that entered side by side with her emperor. "You didn't…you know why I left her there, Emperor Spriggan," she stated, her hands shaking at her sides.

Invel was with her, gathered in their meeting room of the castle once more. It was the best room for them all to meet, since it was designed for a comfortable gathering of many people at once. "She would not listen to reason, and insisted on coming. I saw no need to waste my time fighting against her to prevent her from following us," Zeref explained calmly, sitting down at the table with a frown.

Natsu moved to stand next to Irene, grinning over at her. "Yeah, you better back off, too. I may not have my magic, but I am still willing to fight for my friends. Besides, you punch me and you end up punching yourself," he commented, looking confident in his abilities.

"I do believe that would not be wise, given your current situation. Even inside of a body that is not her own, Irene's magical capability exceeds your own," August said calmly, frowning at the group that had arrived. "In fact, I would say it exceeds that of your friends as well. Are these the wizards meant to reverse Irene's enchantment?"

Wendy stepped forward, giving him a slight bow in greeting. "I…I'm Wendy, I'm the one who is here to…well, I'm going to try to reverse the spell," she stated, looking a bit uncomfortable in the large room. With her height and age, she stood out as being far younger than anyone here, something Zeref did not even care to pay attention to. Age had little to do with power, something he had shown others while growing up. As a child, he was an expert in magic, labeled as a prodigy at a young age before being sent away to the best magic academy in the kingdom. Mildian Magic Academy had taught him much, though perhaps it was not the best decision to let a boy obsessed with bringing back the dead to attend.

"This little girl has the power to undo my spell? I find that hard to believe," Irene claimed, standing with her hands on her hips as she studied Wendy closely. Lucy and Erza stepped closer to the girl, trying to make sure they were available to protect her if necessary. Gray simply glared in response, trying to silently threaten the others without moving from his spot in the room.

Zeref sighed, already irritated with having so many people in his castle. This place was normally peaceful, with the Spriggan Twelve busy dealing with enforcing his laws throughout the empire. "She is the only other wizard I located capable of understanding enchantments, Irene. Regardless of your own assumption that she is weaker than you, I made the decision to bring her here and you shall respect it."

Irene looked ready to argue against it again, but she hesitated, glancing over at Natsu for a moment before nodding with a frown. "I…of course. I did not mean to upset you, your majesty."

Gray frowned at that, glancing over at Lucy uncomfortably. "Is it just me, or is it weird that they all keep calling him that?" he asked quietly, looking quite disturbed at the idea of Zeref leading anyone.

Lucy nodded in agreement, while Invel leaned forward in his seat, focused on his emperor. "It appears that we will have more sparring in the future, Natsu. I look forward to resuming our training together," he commented with a slight smile. "After all, you have yet to prove to me that your flames can melt away even the harshest of winters."

Natsu glared at him, not looking pleased with the idea. "Wait, you've been training Natsu? I was under the impression that he was learning from the black wizard himself," Erza commented, before the dragon slayer could speak out rashly.

"Our emperor has no need to waste his times with such endeavors. As a loyal member of his guard, I will humbly take upon the task of training the young wizard. After all, it is our duty to handle such matters for him," Invel explained, smiling over at the wizards. "I suppose we started off on the wrong foot, as you would say. My name is Invel Yura of the Spriggan Twelve, and these are my associates, Irene Belserion and August."

Erza nodded, smiling over at him. "Yes, I agree. It could not be avoided, given the circumstances we arrived under," she stated, stepping forward. "I am Erza Scarlet of Fairy Tail, and these are my friends, Lucy, Wendy, and Gray."

Irene frowned at that, her arms crossed over her chest as she focused at some point beyond the four wizards. "You failed to introduce that one." she stated, pointing towards what looked like nothing at the moment.

The Fairy Tail wizards looked at Irene with alarm, while Zeref leaned forward, narrowing his gaze at Irene. "Your senses are dulled in his body. I thought that may be the case, considering Natsu's own magical talents," he stated with a slight smile. Irene didn't look pleased with this, narrowing her own eyes in return at the black wizard. "While I am incapable of seeing her, the final member of their group is none other than Mavis Vermillion."

August frowned at this, remaining silent as Irene's eyes went wide. "Mavis…then, we truly have it in our—" Irene began, but Zeref cut her off with a harsh glare.

"Enough on that matter, Irene. I told you before, I no longer desire that power." he insisted, turning towards Wendy as Irene sat back in her chair, silenced by Zeref's outburst. "Wendy, I do believe it will be best to finish this quickly, so Mavis can leave before Irene decides to go against my wishes once more."

The sky dragon slayer nodded, moving closer towards Irene and Natsu. "Right, then I shall get started. Natsu, Irene, I will need you standing close to each other for now. I'm not really sure as to how well I can cast this…but I think it will be easier that way." Wendy stated nervously, directing the two wizards in the room.

Zeref moved towards them, silently watching as Wendy closed her eyes and focused on the spell she had in mind. "Hey, take this back for a sec." Natsu stated, holding his scarf out to Irene. She wrapped it around her neck, rolling her eyes at the dragon slayer who looked upset already without it. "I'm not letting it sit around on your neck when I get back to my body."

Lucy, Erza, Gray, and the other members of the Spriggan Twelve remained at the table, with the members of Fairy Tail standing by the empty chairs. Zeref had moved closer to the spell, interested in how it worked when cast. He had not been able to observe it before, when Irene first trapped Natsu in her body. Perhaps he could learn something from the spell now, though it wasn't guaranteed.

He could sense the magic power building within Wendy as her eyebrows drew closer together, her expression tightened into one of fierce concentration. Magic began to glow around her body, encircling Wendy in a white light as her power grew. Her hands were tightly closed into fists at her side as she took in a deep breath, her eyes flashing open as she suddenly lifted her hands into the air, her palms facing Natsu and Irene. Zeref was smiling at this, pleased that he had been correct about this girl. Her magic truly was amazing if she focused hard enough, and that was what was on his mind as her eyes widened, panic setting into her face.

Zeref saw the change as well, seeing the spell she cast go wild. The white light that had moved towards Natsu and Irene spread outward into the room, encasing not only them but Wendy and Zeref in the light of the spell. The black wizard stumbled back, trying to move away from the magic he felt rushing into his body, the spell ensnaring him as well. It was too hard to see anyone or what was going on, and ultimately, he was leaning against a wall and waiting for the spell to finish before he could see what had occurred.

He opened his eyes, seeing Wendy sitting on the ground, looking exhausted and horrified at her actions. "Oh…I'm sorry…it didn't work, did it? I thought I had it…" she whispered, sounding so sad and apologetic.

"No, your spell did work. I am completely in control of myself once more. Consider myself impressed, you are quite skilled for someone of your age." Irene stated, smiling now that she had returned to her normal self.

Glancing down at his own body, Zeref realized what had happened, though. There was still a familiar scarf around his neck, but his usual black robes were gone, replaced with a simple black vest and shorts that he had seen before. Added in to that was the severe sensitivity he was having to scents in the room, as well as just how loud Irene's voice had sounded even though she was likely talking at a normal volume.

His eyes went wide at the realization, shooting up across from him where he saw himself, or at least, his own body. "Ow…damn it, why is my head hurting so much?" he complained, making Zeref rush forward.

"Everyone, get back!" he shouted, not caring about the damage he caused. After all, his own body could not perish, not with his curse, so he could utilize any attack he wished to push him away. Flames coated his fist, the magic within his body acting almost on instinct with his own emotions. It collided with the boy in front of him, likely Natsu based on the reactions from Wendy and Irene thus far.

Natsu turned to look at him with surprise and confusion, feeling the fist collide with his body and send him flying back into the wall, crashing through the bricks there and leaving himself collapsed on the ground. "Who the hell…ugh, my head…" Natsu began, groaning as he hunched over, clutching his head in his hands.

"Do not move, Natsu. I cannot do anything for the pain, but if you get any closer to the others, there will be no saving them." Zeref warned, feeling strange talking in Natsu's voice.

Natsu glanced at him, his expression pained and desperate as the magic exploded, a cloud of darkness ensnaring both of them. Zeref gazed at it in fear, realizing that theoretically, he could kill Natsu at the moment if he lingered in this fog for too long. "I will reverse this, Natsu. Please, hold on for a moment longer." he promised, before turning and running away from the magic that was ensnaring him. His body was feeling weak in this black magic, draining at his energy and making his motions slower. He could see the scarf around his neck turning black, absorbing that magic as it attempted to protect his own life.

Zeref barely made it out of the fog, gasping for air as he stumbled and leaned against the wall at the edge of the room. Behind him was nothing but darkness, a black shroud that no one could see inside of to find the boy within. "What the hell happened? Natsu, what is he doing in there?" Gray demanded, glancing over at the boy against the wall.

Wendy stared at him with concern in her eyes, clearly worried about him. Without a word, he shrugged off the scarf and held it out towards the sky dragon slayer. "This magic…this is what keeps tainting your scarf….what is it?" she asked.

"Ankhseram's death magic." he replied, glancing over at the cloud with a frown on his face. "Where is Irene? It will likely be easier for her to deal with this than it will be for you." he asked.

Erza pointed over to his side, making Zeref glance upward weakly towards his Spriggan Twelve, watching the magic silently. "I don't understand. Wendy's spell was only meant to switch your body's back. Why did it affect Zeref so badly?" Lucy asked, confused by the magic that would not stop coming.

"That….it is complicated, to say the least." Zeref replied after a few moments, before someone else interjected.

"Zeref and Natsu have switched bodies. Isn't that correct?" a familiar voice asked, making Zeref's eyes widen and turn to see the one person who had been invisible to him for nearly a century. Familiar long blond curls fell behind her back, as she focused on Zeref with determination in her gaze.

Zeref took a moment to recover, calming himself once more before nodding. "Yes, that is true. Natsu cares deeply for his friends; it seems as if he is affected much like you were back then."

She nodded in agreement, glancing around towards Irene. "From what I've come to understand about this situation, Irene will not be that willing to help us. Not only does she wish to obtain that power, she also seems to dislike Natsu's presence in general. This magic could be her way of eliminating him from your life," she stated calmly, analyzing the situation.

"Yes…I had realized that as well. The scarf can protect this body for a while, but it can only absorb so much magic before it is overwhelmed and that power affects me." Zeref commented, gazing over at Wendy. She was finishing up her healing of the scarf, handing it back to him with a frown.

Gray's gaze was wide with fear, though, finally looking back at Zeref with understanding of what was going on. "Are you telling me that you could have done that this entire time?" Gray demanded, pointing over to the cloud of dark magic.

"I suppose, though control of that magic only comes at a great cost. Natsu is not the type of person that would be capable of learning it so easily." Zeref commented, walking over towards Irene along the wall. The Fairy Tail wizards followed him, just as curious about the turn of events as the few members of the Spriggan Twelve were.

Invel glanced over at them, frowning as he pushed his glasses up further on his nose. "I apologize for our emperor, he isn't usually like this."

"Yes, however, our comrade is not familiar with controlling his magic. We believe that Wendy's spell has backfired, causing Natsu and Zeref to switch bodies as a result." Erza explained, crossing her arms over her chest. "Your enchantress must switch them back at once, before this gets any worse."

Irene glanced over at them, looking amused at her request. "Is that so? Sorry, but I think this might be good for his majesty. He can learn just what it is like to be mortal for once, while he regains his logic and reasoning without those pointless emotions clouding his judgment," she stated, glancing over at Zeref. He was glaring at her, feeling the dragon slaying magic within him start to increase the temperature in the room. This power within Natsu truly did wish to react to emotions, it seemed, something he had not realized before. Either way, it was useful to prove his anger towards Irene as flames began to dance around his feet.

She glanced at him for a moment, pausing at the presence of his magic. "This is not the time for games, Irene. You are not the only one capable of learning new magic with ease. If I must, I will force your hand," Zeref warned, the fire around him beginning to burn even hotter. Unlike Natsu, Zeref understood how to manage his magic and control it completely. He could destroy Irene with this magic if he wished, regardless of how powerful her enchantments may be.

The enchantress gazed at him for a few moments, before sighing and nodding. "I suppose, if I must. The sooner I get this done, the sooner that brat will be out of my sight," she commented, glancing over at Erza with a scowl.

"Before you do, may I make a suggestion, your majesty?" Invel asked, making Zeref turn towards him with a frown. "We are still unsure if Natsu's power even has the potential you claim it can reach. I suggest testing it out while it is in your control, rather than his. Surely, with your knowledge, you can create flames even more powerful than his own."

Zeref was already irritated and impatient with this situation, but it would be quicker to answer Invel's curiosity than it would be to argue. He let a stream of fire shout out towards the winter general, startling the wizard at first before Invel countered with his own ice. The flames slowly began to freeze over, at least for a moment, before burning through the ice at full strength. As they did so, Zeref felt something off with his magic, the sense of something attempting to build within him and take control. A wall was there to block it, but it had nearly broken down in an instant.

Zeref stopped his attack immediately, stepping back and staring at his hands in shock. That power, it felt far different from any magic he had ever known. Something was incredibly different about the energy he sensed from Natsu, but it was still a mystery as to what it was. "Irene, do it now. I do not wish to make Natsu go through this for any longer," he stated, still frowning as he considered what he had felt.

Irene sighed, moving closer to do so just as Mavis stepped towards him as well. "I'm happy for you, Zeref." she said quietly, making him frown and turn towards her. "You've finally found someone to care for again, and I can see that it's helping to bring out that light that still remains in your heart."

Zeref looked away, uncomfortable with the implication of her words. If he cared for Natsu in that manner, he would perish just as she had. "Don't try to hide it, Zeref. I know you better than anyone else. Well, I guess Natsu might know you best now, but that's not my point," she said, glancing around slightly. Irene was nearly ready to cast her spell, so she didn't have much more time to speak with him. "My point is that you shouldn't fight against this, Zeref. I've learned to forgive you for your past, and I've moved on. You need to do the same. Once you do that, you'll start finding ways to be happy again, and maybe even find a way to end your curse."

With those final words, Irene began to cast her spell. Zeref wished it would have taken longer, so he could speak with Mavis more, but it would not be worth letting Natsu suffer for a small conversation. Irene's spell wasn't nearly as flashy as Wendy's had been. With a wave of her hand, a stream of light seemed to connect Zeref's body and Natsu's body, though part of the stream was obscured by the black magic still being emitted from the black wizard's distant form. Zeref felt the pull of the magic, slowly forcing his soul to return to his own body, still collapsed on the ground within a sea of magic. He blinked his eyes open at the haze around him, feeling the pressure slowly fade away from his head as the magic wore off, no longer activated by a strong desire to hold on to the lives of others.

Sitting up, Zeref let his gaze drift over to Natsu, who was looking panicked at the sight of the magic in the room. Gray and Lucy were struggling to hold him back, while he fought to rush towards Zeref. "Let me go! Damn it, I've gotta help him. That magic…I had no idea what it felt like…" he was saying, growling under his breath before finally breaking free.

Luckily, he was moving after Zeref's magic wore off, though it seemed as if Lucy and Gray were still concerned. "Natsu, I understand your concern, but I am fine." Zeref stated calmly, seeing the dragon slayer stop and kneel by his side. Even his words weren't enough though, making him frown as Natsu leaned closer to Zeref, carefully studying the black wizard as they both remained on the ground.

"No…you're not. You've got something on your mind, don't you?" Natsu asked, studying Zeref closely.

Zeref tried to glance away, his usual means of avoiding answering questions, but Natsu gripped the top of Zeref's head, forcing him to continue to stare into Natsu's eyes. The dragon slayer's forehead was nearly touching his own, making him wonder if Natsu had suddenly developed a death wish. "I…Natsu, this is not helping," he said at last, watching the dragon slayer scowl in irritation.

"Yeah, well not talking hasn't been helping you either, has it?" he demanded. Zeref blinked at him in surprise, seeing Natsu continue on. "I mean, you've just been avoiding the past for…man I'm not good with history, I can't even tell you how long to be honest. Tell me, what good has it done for you? Are people any less afraid of you because of it?"

Zeref sighed, letting his gaze at least fall to the floor even if he couldn't move his head. "No, they are not. That is not my issue, though. People have always separated me from the majority, either out of fear or awe. It is something I am quite used to by now."

"Well, what is bothering you?" Natsu demanded, glaring over at him. "Was it Mavis? I mean…you were me for a bit, so I guess you could see her, right?"

Zeref moved to nod, though it was difficult considering his position. "She…gave me a few things to think about, that is all," he stated, watching Natsu sigh and shake his head.

"I guess that's better than nothing, at least. You do know that you can talk to me about this stuff, right? I'm your friend, and that means I'm here to help whenever you need me." Natsu stated, releasing the black wizard and rising to his feet.

Zeref nodded, giving him a slight smile as he picked himself up off of the ground. "I am aware, Natsu. I value you far more than you think, though I do not know if that is a good thing or not." he stated quietly.

Natsu gave him a grin, wrapping his arm around Zeref's shoulders. "That's a good thing, trust me." he insisted. "I mean, everyone needs to have someone to lean on. After all, that massive headache you have all the time must make it hard to focus, right?"

Zeref laughed at his words, amused that the dragon slayer had mistaken that pain by such a large margin. It was likely the first time he had truly laughed in a long time, and it was clear that the noise had startled not just the dragon slayer, but Invel, Irene, and August as well. "Yes…I suppose it is hard to focus when that comes," he said after a few moments, still smiling in amusement.

Natsu shook his head after a few moments of staring at Zeref in shock, walking back over towards his friends. "I don't get what was so amusing about that, but I'm not going to complain. I don't think I've ever seen you look…that close to happy before."

Zeref calmed at that statement, reflecting back on what it meant. Was he truly happy, in some form? Mavis seemed to want him to find that in his life, but it was such a challenge. Moving on from his past and what he had done would be a struggle, but he felt like it could be done. So long as Natsu was with him, he felt like he could accomplish nearly anything, even going up against a god to break his curse once and for all.

 **So, I couldn't think of a good way to portray an actual fight starting when Irene saw Erza...instead this is kinda what I came up with. I hope it is still somewhat believable, and that you enjoyed the chapter anyway. Feel free to review and tell me what you think!**


	26. Chapter 26

**Disclaimer:** I am not the owner of Fairy Tail

"Alright, it looks like we're all set to head back now," Lucy commented, all of them now gathered in the grand entrance hall of his castle. The meeting room had been destroyed, so they had to make do with other rooms for the time being. Zeref knew it would be repaired sooner or later, and he was not concerned with the damage that he himself had caused.

Gray nodded in agreement, standing by her side with a bag slung over his shoulder. "Thanks for letting us tag along. To be honest, I don't think I was expecting to see that when I agreed to come though."

Zeref nodded, glancing over at Natsu who shrugged. "I warned you all that there would be dangers in following. My magic is not the most stable of things, and unlike myself, Natsu does not know how to control it."

Natsu rubbed the back of his head, glancing away. "Yeah, I forgot to thank you for that. I really don't know what would have happened if you didn't shove me out of the way back there."

Zeref nodded, smiling over at him. "Yes, even on the outside I can see the signs of the death predation coming," he stated grimly.

"You know, I might be able to try and come up with an enchantment to help keep your magic at bay," Wendy commented as they moved towards the door. "I had something for Natsu's motion sickness, and with all this new knowledge I have on enchantments, I'm certain I could—" she began, but Zeref shook his head at her.

"It would fail, regardless of what spell you used," he told her, his smile now gone as he grew thoughtful once more. "My magic is a curse of the darkest nature, no healing spell can alter it."

Natsu patted his back, grinning over at the black wizard. "Well, I'd say it's about time we took care of that problem of yours. Even after only a few minutes of being you, I was already willing to do anything to get that stupid pain to stop."

Zeref looked startled, blinking at Natsu in surprise. "Helping the Black Wizard, you say? It sounds interesting, like a job made for us," Erza commented, glancing over at Zeref. "After all, we aren't exactly known for following the rules when we go on missions."

Lucy smiled in agreement, winking over at Zeref as she turned around to walk backwards, facing her friends to talk. "My spirits are on your side, too. After all, they say your spell during the whole mess with the Eclipse Gate saved them from a bunch of trouble," she insisted. "Anyone who keeps them safe is good in my book."

Zeref sighed, shaking his head at her. "You would have been aware of the dangers had your mother gotten the chance to explain them to you," he commented, seeing her blink in surprise. "The celestial spirit world is vulnerable during the time of an eclipse. As such, using their keys during such a time allows for taint and other dark magic to influence their realm, especially for a spell like Eclipse. There are other spells in celestial magic that can be activated without spirits, you simply need to grow to understand them."

Lucy nodded, thinking for a moment before smiling. "Right! Spells like uranometria, the ultimate spell I used during the Grand Magic Games, right?"

Zeref had not paid much attention to her at that time, but it was a spell that he recognized the name of. "Yes, that is one example."

Gray ran a hand through his hair, grinning though he seemed a bit stressed at the moment. "Damn, Lyon is going to kill me for this. Looks like we're actually going on a mission with Zeref to end some bizarre curse of his. I mean, if I just let you guys go at it alone, you're going to get yourself killed or captured by the magic council."

It was a bit startling for Zeref to hear, leaving him in silence as he wondered what he had done to get them to trust him so much. His entire focus had been to protect Natsu from the same suffering he had gone through, but his friends appeared to think that action was for their sakes. "Whatever, just don't get in my way, Gray. I've got an issue with this god, and I'm gonna be the first to kick his ass when we meet him."

Zeref could only imagine in horror the image of Natsu battling against a god. It would end terribly, even worse than his first spar with Invel had gone. "No, that is not a good idea. Even should you destroy Ankhersam, my curse would still remain. The only thing that would accomplish is ending the one person who may be able to lift it," he said, hoping that Natsu would at least listen to that form of reasoning.

Natsu nodded, shrugging as they stopped on the bridge leading towards Vistarion. "Yeah, I guess that would kind of mess things up. Either way, we'll figure it out when we get there, right? After all, it seems like you're already getting more friends, and its only been a day! Fairy Tail really is good for everyone, even guys like you," Natsu stated cheerfully.

"Perhaps," he commented, stopping and glancing back at his castle one last time. He did not plan on remaining here this time, not when he had just realized the dangers in training Natsu. While the dragon slayer did not discover the true reason Zeref had decided to leave and travel with them back to the guild, it was clear that Invel had understood. He had spoken with the winter mage to warn him against pushing Natsu any further, for if that barrier broke within the dragon slayer, his power would consume him completely.

This was why Zeref was leaving with them, vowing to keep an eye on Natsu's power and seal it off even further if necessary. That boy was far more precious to him than anyone else in the world, and he was not about to watch as he destroyed himself in his pursuit of power. "When we get back, I'm gonna show you all around Magnolia. We've been too busy with all this body switching mess, so I think we've all earned a break," Natsu stated, glancing over at Zeref.

The black wizard nodded, kneeling down on the ground to start the teleportation for their return. "I think I'm going to go rest in my room when we get back. This place has given me so many ideas for my story, I can't wait to incorporate this amazing castle into it!" Lucy stated as the spell began to activate.

They were all back in Magnolia only moments later, standing together as Zeref rose back to his feet. "Well, I've got to go catch up with Carla. I've got so much to tell her about, with how quickly I managed to master that spell of yours!" Wendy insisted, rushing off towards the guild.

Erza nodded, smiling as she walked off. "Well, I suppose that just leaves you and me, Gray. I think we should go on a mission, just the two of us. It would be a good bonding experience between comrades, don't you think?"

Gray looked terrified of the idea, but the armored wizard had already grabbed his wrist, dragging him off towards the guild hall to select a job. "I guess we'll meet back up soon. I figure you might want some time to get used to Magnolia first, before jumping right into this curse breaking mission of ours," Lucy commented, smiling as she moved to walk off. "I'll see you guys later!"

Zeref watched her leave, turning back towards Natsu who was grinning, looking eager to walk through town with him. "Come on, I'll show you all my favorite places in town!" Natsu stated, grabbing Zeref's arm and pulling him along. Startled, Zeref stumbled at first before matching the dragon slayer's pace. Right now, they seemed to be passing by a residential area of some kind. Tall apartment buildings lined the street, with a small canal running through the center. "We're near Lucy's house right now, but we'll finish the tour there. Visiting Lucy is a good way to end the day, though I don't get why she gets so upset with me coming over."

Zeref nodded at his words, unsure of what to say. For some reason, he felt out of place here, in Natsu's world. He had gotten used to either battling against one of his own creations, or working with the people he knew from before. Here, everyone was a stranger, and he no longer despised all human life. "I…perhaps she simply enjoys her privacy," Zeref stated after a few moments.

Natsu shrugged, stopping at a building and pulling Zeref inside. "Now, I don't usually get stuff here, but Lucy says it is the best magic shop in town," Natsu commented. Zeref nodded, unsure of what to make of it as Natsu pushed open the doors, walking inside. "I don't really use much beyond my own fists in a fight, so a lot of this stuff is useless for me."

It made sense, considering Natsu's fighting style. The magic in these stores were typically small charms or potions, though a few stores carried items for holder-type wizards to utilize. Gate keys were a popular item for many to sell, something this store seemed to have a small selection of. "I do not quite see what is so special about it," Zeref said after a few moments.

The shelves were lining the store, displaying items of all kinds, but to Zeref, it was all common and weak spells to use. "Yeah, that's what I said. Lucy told me I was stupid and told me to bother someone else in response. I guess she was trying to get some deal on a new key or something when I came in with her."

"Did she get it? I did not see many that appeared to be powerful in that store," Zeref asked, watching Natsu shake his head with a grin.

"Nah, that's why she was so upset! I told the shopkeeper about how lame I thought his stuff was, and he kicked us out," Natsu stated cheerfully, leaving Zeref smiling in amusement as well.

"Ah, I see. That makes more sense now." Zeref replied.

Turning towards Zeref, Natsu frowned with his hands folded behind his head. "So, what about you? Do you have any interesting stories from back home?" he asked, looking curious.

Zeref thought about it, his mind foggy about many aspects of his past. Memories were hard to hold on to these days, though particular painful ones remained quite strong. "I…well, I suppose you may be entertained by the fact that I was once eaten by a dragon," he commented, drawing on the one thing he knew Natsu held an interest in him.

"What?" Natsu demanded, looking shocked. "How the hell did you manage that?"

Zeref shrugged, glancing towards the street. Natsu took a turn towards their left, moving towards an area that seemed to smell a lot more like food. This area was likely one of Natsu's real favorites of the city, if they truly had decent things to eat here. "It was towards the end of the war with the dragons. One of them did not realize who I was and decided I would make a good meal," Zeref stated, trying to recall some other detail that would not leave Natsu upset. "I…if i remember correctly, it was cold until he swallowed me. I did not expect a dragon's mouth to be cold, considering the amount of energy required for their breath attacks."

Natsu burst out laughing at that, looking far more entertained than Zeref expected him to be by this. "Out of all the things to focus on, that's what you choose?" he demanded, grinning over at Zeref. "Man, you really are strange, Zeref. If you were anyone else, I think that story would have gone a lot differently."

Zeref shrugged, unsure of if that was a good thing or not. "Perhaps, though I will admit that it was one of the more painful injuries of my past. Not many ways of dying compare to being eaten alive by a dragon."

Natsu nodded in agreement. "Yeah, that probably wasn't all that fun." he stated, his smile fading as he thought about something else. "I bet you wouldn't have had such bad experiences with them if Igneel had been around then, though. I mean, you seemed to know him when Eclipse opened and all that, but I imagine you met him after the whole getting-eaten-by-a-dragon thing happened."

"Actually, I met him before that event occurred. I do agree that Igneel was much gentler than the other dragons, though he did seem wary of me and the danger I presented," Zeref stated, thinking about the dragon he had met long ago.

Natsu nodded, smiling over at Zeref. "Yeah, he was pretty great, wasn't he? That's why I know I've got to find him, even if you can't help me with it," he stated, glancing over at Zeref. "I don't get how it helps stop Acnologia yet, but I won't get in the way of destroying him, so I guess I just have to keep looking the old-fashioned way."

The black wizard nodded, frowning in thought. "Yes, though I wish I could help you. It is strange. I do not think I've ever really wished to help someone simply to make them happy," Zeref mused, considering his past. He had aided others, for his own gain or for the survival of humanity as a whole. His decision to help Mavis had simply been a way to pass time, though he did end up closer to her than he originally planned on getting. This time, he simply wanted to see Natsu happy again, even if it was just for a moment when Igneel returned.

"Well, how about this? You can go ahead and buy me some dinner if you want to make me happy. I'm starving and the smell of all this food is making me hungry," Natsu said, glancing around at all the restaurants in the street. "I don't really have a favorite, everything here is good."

Zeref smiled, nodding in agreement as he picked a door at random and walked inside. "You know, maybe we could go fishing tomorrow. There's a river nearby, where I usually go with Happy," Natsu suggested as they sat down.

Zeref nodded, glancing towards the window thoughtfully. "That would be nice. It is quite peaceful out there. It reminds me of my time on Tenrou Island, where I didn't have to worry about the troubles of the world."

Natsu nodded in agreement, seeing the waitress stop by for his order. Zeref did not comment on the amount of food he had ordered, though the girl's eyes seemed to go round with shock after each dish he listed. "Yeah, though I will admit my favorite part is eating the fish. I'm not really patient enough for catching them. Happy claims I scare away all the fish too, since I get angry and yell at them sometimes. "

Zeref nodded, glancing back towards the dragon slayer. "Most animals get startled by loud noises. I believe Happy would be correct in that assumption."

"Anyway, I figured that while we were out there, we could do some more training. I haven't gotten a lot of time to work with my magic, with that mess Irene started in your empire," Natsu added, some of his food arriving as he spoke. Zeref watched as the dragon slayer began to dig in, his expression lighting up at the sight of food that he could now devour.

Zeref didn't know how Natsu would react, considering the situation. "I…it might not be wise, to train you further," he said at last, seeing Natsu freeze, swallowing the bit of food in his mouth as he turned towards Zeref.

"Why? I mean, I thought you wanted to train me more." Natsu asked. "I still have to stop those demons of yours, right?"

Zeref frowned at that, remembering that too. He had not heard of anything going on with Tartaros yet, but they were likely taking their time putting their plan into action. "Your magic…I noticed something strange about it, while we had switched bodies." Zeref commented. "I'd like to investigate that further, before furthering your power. If I did not know any better, I would assume your power was trying to take control of your soul. Magic isn't typically malicious like that, so there must be another reason for it to be acting that way."

"I've never felt anything like that before!" Natsu declared, looking irritated. "I mean, my magic has always been mine. I can control it just fine, you've seen it for yourself."

Zeref nodded, aware of this fact. "Yes, however, I attempted to use your magic to prove to Invel that there was a purpose to our training. If you truly put the force necessary to melt his ice into your magic, that is when you would feel such a thing. The seal on your magic is placed there intentionally, though I am not sure who….no, perhaps I am," he mused, thinking further on it.

Natsu waited for more of an explanation, but Zeref had grown quiet. That seal may be what blocked off the transformation of dragon slayers into a true dragon. He recalled Igneel discussing if such a thing would be possible, but he did not know if they had finalized such a plan. It would explain the wall blocking an immense power, one which could be unlocked if Natsu became a dragon.

Then again, if that was the case he would sense something similar in the other dragon slayers. Even if it explained the block, it did not explain Natsu's immense power. "I do not know, I may be overthinking things," Zeref said after a few moments, shaking his head.

Natsu nodded, smiling as he resumed eating his meal. After taking a bite, he grinned over at Zeref. "Yeah, well I bet you do that a lot. You think about everything, way too much. Sometimes, you just have to act and hope for the best."

"I see. I assume this is what leads your friends to not be surprised when they hear you've destroyed an entire city," Zeref commented, seeing Natsu frown at him.

"Hey, don't blame me for that! I may be destructive, but I don't usually go that far with my magic…that one was all Irene's fault."

Zeref smiled slightly at his reaction, nodding with understanding. "Yes, a dragon can be more destructive than a dragon slayer, I suppose. Then again, she is technically one as well, so perhaps it should have simply been expected for so much destruction to occur."

Natsu glared at him slightly, looking upset with Zeref's comments. "Fine, I might be a little destructive. Is there anything wrong with that? I mean, I'm just protecting my friends."

Zeref nodded, leaning forward over the table towards Natsu. "No, there is nothing wrong with it. I am simply stating the facts," he commented. "In fact, I had nearly intervened, but I was concerned with harming you with my magic. I believe if I had entered that battle, far more devastation would have occurred."

The black wizard was frowning again, glancing down at the table as Natsu leaned forward, grabbing Zeref's hand with a fierce look in his eyes. "Hey, I keep telling you to stop doing that," he stated, making Zeref glance up in surprise. "You aren't guilty for every bad thing that happens in the world, and everything you do doesn't hurt others either. Sometimes, things aren't that black and white."

Zeref nodded, gazing into Natsu's dark eyes and feeling a sense of peace fill him. He did not recall feeling so calm around anyone before, relaxed as if nothing could possibly go wrong anymore. Usually, he either grew angry or fearful around others, depending on how he felt about them. "Natsu…I…I don't know if I can do that."

The dragon slayer gave Zeref a small smile, looking sure of himself. "Well, then I guess I've still got some work to do. I'll show you to forgive yourself, Zeref, and I'll help you see just how much good you do for others. After all, you've already saved my friends' lives once, haven't you?"

Zeref thought about it for a moment, blinking in surprise as he realized that perhaps Natsu could be correct. He had killed people before, and he had only ever mourned over their deaths, but sometimes it may have been helpful to some extent. Hades had been the leader of a dark guild, and if his plans had continued, the man would have attempted to destroy most of humanity to obtain his desire for magical power. He had destroyed other dark guilds in the past as well, those that worshipped his very name and longed to obtain his power. Often times, those guilds would have gotten their hands on some form of black magic that would have killed others too, so he could have protected lives without even realizing what his actions had done.

Thinking about his past, he realized that perhaps he had been too secretive about it with others. He had always felt guilt and regret over the things he had done, but maybe Natsu could help him see the light he was missing in his history, the light Mavis claimed still lived on in him today. "I think…would you mind coming somewhere with me tomorrow? There is something I'd like to show you."

Natsu blinked in surprise at the request, slowly grinning in response. "Sure, why not? After all, we've probably got some time before Gray and Erza return from the job they wanted to go on and we can always go fishing some other time."

Zeref smiled in return, leaning back slightly, a bit dazed from being so close to Natsu. Mavis was right about that too, he supposed. Even if he would not admit it to anyone else, Natsu was the only thing that mattered to him in life at the moment. He was not going to risk giving him the same end as Mavis, though, so he would continue to keep some distance between them, at least, physically. That did not mean he could not tell Natsu about his past, even if it showed the dragon slayer parts of himself that he wished would go away.

 **Please review and tell me what you think!**


	27. Chapter 27

**Disclaimer:** I am not the owner of Fairy Tail

Zeref brought them close to his destination at least, using his teleportation magic when they met up the next day. It had been far too long since he had been to that place, since he avoided going to places that brought back bad memories in his mind. This was why Zeref and Natsu now stood in a grassy plain, with the ruins of the Mildian Magic Academy behind him. He had been here much more recently, after his job in Rugratha with Jellal, but it still was not the place he wanted to travel towards.

Natsu gazed around the area, looking at the grassy plains and turning his head to see the crumbling image of what used to be a magnificent academy. "What is this place? I mean, it doesn't really look like much to me." Natsu commented.

Zeref began moving quietly, traveling down a path he still remembered from the first day he had come to this school. "Mildian Magic Academy, or at least, what remains of it. This isn't what I wished to show you, at least, not yet." Zeref stated. "I have not been to this village in a long time, I believe it will take us a few hours to reach it."

Natsu nodded, frowning in confusion as he followed after Zeref. "You know, you're kind of quiet today. Did something happen?" Natsu asked.

Natsu had been aware of the situation Zeref was in last night. It had been uncomfortable, to say the least. The guild leader of Fairy Tail had offered to let Zeref stay in the guild's apartments until he found something more permanent for his time here. Normally, it would not be an issue, but here, it meant he would be dealing with facing more people he did not know. Gray may have been a familiar face, but he got glares and questioning stares from other members who still held fear deep in their hearts of what Zeref could do to them. To make matters worse, the guild master had insisted on sending another mage to room with him, claiming he still did not trust Zeref completely this close to the guild. It was reasonable, considering he had once been looking to steal Fairy Heart, but the iron dragon slayer that ended up guarding him had been a bit much to deal with.

Zeref hadn't given Natsu all of the details, but that wasn't his issue today. "No, not in the way you are thinking." Zeref said after a few moments. "I avoid this place for a reason. In fact, I do not think I've been back since I left…." he began, trailing off and trying to think if that was correct or not.

"Hey, if you don't want to go there, we can do something else. I mean, I thought we were going to have some fun today and relax a bit, not go hiking in some field," Natsu commented, glancing over at Zeref.

The black wizard frowned, understanding his impatience to some extent. "I suppose that makes sense. If you'd like, we can go elsewhere, however, I thought you may be interested to see the place where I was born."

Natsu blinked in surprise, startled by his words. "Wait, are you serious? I mean…you typically don't really talk about yourself that much. I was kind of getting used to you getting all broody and refusing to say a thing about it."

Zeref nodded, glancing over at Natsu. "Yes, I do that quite often. I dislike speaking of my past, for I often look back on it with guilt and pain. Sharing it with others often leads to either pity or hatred, emotions which I dislike having directed towards me." he commented. "You, however, did make a valid point back in Vistarion. Holding in such facts has not truly avoided the hatred and fear of others, therefore, I truly am not benefiting from my actions."

Natsu slowly began to grin, wrapping an arm around Zeref's shoulders as they walked. "See, I told ya this might help! Alright, I think I'm rather interested in this little trip of ours now," Natsu stated, looking eager and picking up the pace.

Zeref let himself sink back into silence as they walked, feeling Natsu's arm fall from his shoulders once they got a little further. These hills were nothing special, quite ordinary and much like other hills, but to Zeref they were a sign of a place he had once called home. The time he had spent in this area had been a pleasant one, to some extent, before all of his real suffering truly began. With the sun shining brightly over the hills, the grass blowing gently in the breeze, it was almost easy to imagine he was elsewhere, not about to relive the past that had caused him so much strife.

Natsu let him think in silence, not pushing him into discussion as they walked. It was unusual for the dragon slayer to do so, but perhaps he was trying to show Zeref that he respected the black wizard's desire for secrecy at times. The further they went, the shorter the grass became, as if the land itself remembered what had happened in this area. Zeref paused when he spotted a well nearby, crumbling and falling apart, but still a sight he recognized. "We're nearly there." Zeref stated calmly, turning away from the well. A few of the stones that had made up its walls were falling off, one section of the well completely missing as if something had torn through it.

Natsu nodded, glancing over at Zeref with concern in his gaze. He ignored the dragon slayer, however, moving silently until Natsu stopped him nearly thirty minutes later, his eyes wide at another strange sight in the fields that had seemed so peaceful and relaxing. "Is that…a graveyard?" he asked, pointing towards a small area of land. Without even waiting for an answer, he moved closer to inspect them.

With a sigh, Zeref moved to follow after Natsu, getting closer to the familiar sights of this place. As far as graves went, these ones were not in the greatest of shapes. Instead of having the traditional stone marker, these graves were marked with twigs and sticks, no names mentioned of a single individual. "It smells like one…but it doesn't look right," Natsu commented, frowning at the graves before him.

Zeref was still as he gazed at them, remembering this part of that day quite clearly. "No, it was challenging to find anything to use as a grave marker. I was far too young to be able to craft such an object, so I made do with what I could find," he told Natsu quietly, seeing the boy turn towards him with wide eyes.

"Wait…does that mean your curse…?" he began, trailing off. It was clear that he didn't want to upset Zeref any further, but it would be a challenge to avoid once they got into the village.

Zeref shook his head at Natsu in response, turning towards the nearing silhouettes of his home town. "No, they did not perish by my hand. That story will make more sense when we are in town," he stated quietly, his voice somewhat distant.

Natsu nodded, squeezing Zeref's shoulder for a moment before moving towards the buildings. "Hey, you do realize that it's going to be alright, right?" Natsu asked, glancing over at Zeref. "I mean, bad stuff happened here, I get that, but you're still alive. I don't think any of these people would want you to walk around all depressed like this for the rest of your life, not when you made it out of this for a reason."

Zeref nodded, smiling at Natsu ever so slightly as the true shape of the buildings became clear. This town had never been rebuilt after that tragedy, not when everyone was too focused on devoting resources to the war. Buildings were charred and falling apart, some of them with massive holes in the roofs or in the walls. The streets themselves were deserted and broken down, stones torn from their positions on the streets and thrown into various piles around the village. Any grass or plants that may have once existed were long gone, leaving only dirt and dust to greet them on the ground alongside the debris from the buildings and the street.

Natsu stared at it with wide eyes, clearly seeing that this decay was a result of more than just age. "Wha…this place, it looks like…." he was mumbling, walking around with a frown on his face. Zeref followed the dragon slayer, keeping his gaze low to the ground as he grabbed Natsu's hand, pulling him down a different street.

"It was a quaint town, before the attack happened," Zeref stated after a few moments. He pulled Natsu along until he found the house he was looking for, stopping and turning towards it. Any windows were long gone, shattered from the attack. The roof itself was missing entirely, torn off and likely joining the various piles of wood and stone debris piled in the streets. The homes nearby looked as if they had burned down completely, and his own home showed signs of charring on the side walls as a result. "This was my home…at least, for a little while."

Natsu gazed over at Zeref, looking horrified at the thought. "They had sent me to get water that day. I was…I think I was about six, when it happened." he stated, struggling to remember details of that nature. Time had blurred together at this point, and age mattered little to him now. "While I was gone, dragons came. I was born during the time of war between humans and dragons, and while I had grown up in an isolated, peaceful area, I did not escape the tragedies that came a result of war."

Natsu stared around at the city, understanding the damage much better now. "When I returned, all I could see was smoke and fire. The city…well, not much remained at the time. It had started to rain, and while I was not all that powerful of a wizard yet, it did inspire me to at least try and stop the flames."

"The dragons must have been gone by that time, otherwise I would have perished alongside the others. I do not know how long I worked on trying to tame the flames, to allow something as small as raindrops to extinguish the fire eating away at my home. By the time the flames stopped burning, I was exhausted and my body felt numb. I do believe that numbness was what enabled me to keep acting that day, to find all of the dead and give them a proper burial of some form."

Natsu was staring at Zeref, silently horrified by the black wizard's description of what had happened. "That…I can't even…I mean, if something like that happened to Fairy Tail, I don't think I'd be able to do that. I'd go searching for the person responsible, and show them just what happens when you attack my friends," he stated, looking angry for Zeref.

The black wizard shrugged, unconcerned with revenge. "It would not have brought them back, and I likely would have perished attempting to avenge them. I suppose my true breaking point, however, was the last body I found in this village," he commented. "I would have expected much more sorrow to come from finding my own parents, but they had aged and it was not entirely unusual for people to die before they reached fifty years of age in that era. It wasn't as much of a shock, I suppose, as the sight of a baby, still and not breathing on the floor of someone's home."

Natsu gazed over at Zeref, his hands clenched into fists at his sides as he glared out over the buildings of Zeref's old home. "I still do not even know what that baby's name was, but I do recall being incapable of burying it. Unlike some of the others, his body was not torn by claws or teeth, nor did he have any burn marks on his skin. He had likely died from suffocation, due to the smoke created by the flames surrounding him," he told Natsu, his gaze distant and no longer focused on what was happening now.

"Seeing such an innocent life, taken away so young, it made me wonder why these things had to occur. No one that young deserved to perish, and while I did not even know this child, I grew determined that day to find a way to prevent such tragedies. I persevered his body with magic, and made a vow to learn everything I could about healing. Ultimately, I had decided to become the only wizard capable of bringing the dead back to life, however, I did not realize why such a thing had not been done in the past."

Natsu stared at Zeref, his eyes wide. "That's why…all those demons you made, you were trying to figure out how…" Natsu began, but Zeref shook his head.

"The demons actually came after I found the way to bring the dead back. As a result of my research, I angered Ankhseram, the god of life and death. Before I even began my work into what people now refer to as living magic, he gave me my curse," Zeref explained. "I…it changed my goal, I suppose, with what my magic would accomplish."

Natsu stared at Zeref, not quite grasping it yet. With a small sigh, Zeref reached over and grabbed Natsu's hand, teleporting them away from this village and back to the place they had started in. "This is the place where I learned it all, the place where I grew to understand magic to an extent that terrified even my own instructors. Mildian Magic Academy, a place known for having the best of healing wizards at the time. My curse ended that, I suppose, leaving healing as a forgotten art in terms of magic."

Natsu nodded, resting a hand on the black wizard's shoulder. He was surprised to feel it, he was doing quite well he thought. Strangely, Zeref felt calm as he spoke, if not somewhat mournful of the lives that had perished before. Even so, there were small tears running down his cheeks, a result of speaking so much about his painful history. "Well, it's not all gone, right? I mean, you still remember those spells, even if your curse doesn't let you use them."

Zeref nodded, focusing on Natsu as he took a deep breath, trying to focus once more. The dragon slayer moved to wrap his arm around Zeref's shoulders instead, walking with him into the ruins. "You remind me of someone else who came here with me a few years ago. She told me the same thing, and said that I should teach others how to heal."

Natsu smiled over at him, looking pleased with the idea. "Well, why not? I mean, you keep feeling all guilty about the things you've done. Maybe helping wizards understand how to heal again will help you forgive yourself for all that stuff."

Zeref nodded, stopping at the door to his old room. He had replaced the protection circle on the door when he left before, and glancing at it now, he pressed his palm to the surface to allow himself entry into the room. "Maybe. Perhaps I will start small, and help Wendy learn more about healing spells. She did seem interested, the last time I spoke with her."

Natsu nodded in agreement, grinning over at him as Zeref opened the door, walking inside and viewing the room that still remained untouched by theft. "Sounds like a plan. First, I think we've got to figure out the whole Tartaros thing, and deal with your curse, but teaching healing magic to wizards would be a good plan for you, one day."

"Perhaps one day," Zeref stated, sitting down on the floor of the room. Natsu followed him, sitting down next to him and gazing around with curiosity in his gaze. "This was my room here, when I studied magic. My studies were…frowned upon, by my instructors, so I kept my room locked to anyone other than myself," Zeref began to explain, glancing around.

"Why didn't they like your research? I mean, didn't it seem like strong healing magic would be helpful?" Natsu asked, confused.

Zeref sighed, glancing up at the ceiling. "I think they knew, just how such an endeavor would end. My instructors warned me against bringing the dead back to life, multiple times. Their most serious warning came from a paper I wrote, theorizing how it could have been done with a spell I called the R-System, though there were holes in that plan," he commented, frowning. "Regardless, I continued my research despite their warnings. I simply learned to hide it, and ultimately, I killed everyone in this school as a result."

Natsu was still looking concerned, worried over the darkness in Zeref's eyes that seemed to make him look so far away at the moment. "My magic, what I had once worked to develop in order to protect life, became my salvation. I threw myself into it, believing that with alterations, I could create life stronger than any being we've seen before on this planet. With that power, I could end my own life, the one that was causing so many suffering and despair."

Natsu didn't look pleased with this either, glaring over at Zeref. "Hey, you're not going to just go around doing that. I told you before, there are other ways to—" he began, but Zeref shook his head.

"I am aware, however, my mindset back then was different than it is now. I was miserable, realizing just how lonely my life was going to be. Everything that came near me died, and it was becoming clear that I would never be able to truly come into contact with a living thing again," Zeref stated sadly, glancing away. Perhaps he had learned to control his curse to some extent, but he was never fully away from that mindset that kept him afraid of being close to others.

Natsu nodded, letting Zeref continue again with a frown. "Ultimately, the child I wished to bring back was used as part of my spells. Since it had been the start of all my pain and suffering, it seemed fitting to grant the baby the power to also end such a thing. Without another name to call it, I named the demon END, after my desire for an end." Zeref explained, frowning as he focused on the ground. "However, I was forced to seal away END's power, when I realized the threat Acnologia was giving the world. Wizards came to me, pleading for aid in stopping the former dragon slayer, and with that, I forgot about my demons and focused on other projects designed to put a halt to the beast that wished to bring about chaos and destruction. My empire, the finalization of the Eclipse Gate…these things became the new focus of my life."

Natsu nodded, seeming to realize where this story lead. "Right, and then you ended up having to wait for Eclipse to finish…whatever it is you did with it. That's why you ended up on Tenrou Island, a place where people wouldn't bother you until you could stop Acnologia."

Zeref nodded, smiling slightly over at Natsu. "Yes, it was a peaceful place for me to wait. People had begun to hate and fear me, after witnessing the destruction caused by demons like Deliora and Lullaby, so I let myself disappear. History forgot me in some ways, assuming I had died and only remembering the terror I had caused by creating demons of that nature."

"If you ask me, I think you've learned your lesson. I mean, have you really been using that living magic of yours recently?" Natsu asked, while Zeref shook his head. The last demon he remembered creating had been END, and after that, he had abandoned living magic and focused on Eclipse. Once that had been completed, he simply wanted to rest until the dragon slayers arrived in the future at some point. "Then it looks like we might have a chance to convince this Ankhseram guy to give you a second chance. You've suffered for long enough if you ask me, so we'll show that guy what happens when you keep punishing people who want to change."

Zeref could hear the slight threat of battle in those words, but this time it made him smile rather than feel fear. Natsu was willing to face any threat to protect his friends, and it felt good to be considered one of them. "I am glad to hear that you are willing to help, Natsu. To be honest, I never expected to meet someone who I wished to share my story with. People often misunderstand me, writing me off as a villain before I even say a word. It made the entire effort of speaking with others seem pointless…but you listen. Even before I told you anything, you were willing to forget the past and attempt to become friends with someone who you knew nothing about."

Natsu grinned over at Zeref, wrapping an arm around the black wizard's shoulders. "Of course! I mean, I've never really been good at remembering history anyway, so who cares about a few demons that destroyed a village or something? You're trying to fix that now, and that's what counts to me. After all, you're interesting to be around. I've never met a wizard that knows so much about magic, and on top of it, you don't really react to much. I thought it'd be interesting to see if I could get you to smile, or react in any way to what I was doing."

Zeref nodded, smiling over at Natsu. "Yes, it would appear that way to others. For centuries, I sought to control my emotions. If I grew angry, people would die, but at the same time, if I cared for them, they would also die. Thus, I strove to achieve a state of complete calmness, where the actions of the world could not touch me and nothing would perish by my hand.I grew close to that state at one point…but the world continued to die around me, rejecting me despite the changes I made."

Natsu laughed at his words, looking amused as he focused on Zeref. "Well, duh. You were doing all that stuff because you cared about the world, so of course your curse would try and kill it in response," he commented. "Besides, wouldn't that be rather boring, living like that? Feeling nothing for years would kind of make anyone depressed. I guess that's why your so mopey all the time, isn't it?"

Zeref could see his reasoning, though he was not sure if that was the true reason he was so upset with the world. "Perhaps it is one reason. I think I still desire an end to my existence, though. I have lived a long life, and throughout it all—" Zeref began, but Natsu cut him off, gripping his shoulders tightly and moving to sit across from the black wizard.

"No." he said fiercely, glaring over at Zeref with a gleam in his eyes. "You are alive for a reason, Zeref. I'm not going to just let you find a way to kill yourself, not when we've already got a plan to free you from your curse," he insisted. "If you're sad, that's fine. Talk to someone about it, cry if you have to, but don't go throwing your life away for nothing. You've got people who care about you, that's something you need to keep in mind now."

Zeref didn't know what to say in response, his eyes wide at Natsu's words. He wanted to reply in some form, but there just didn't seem to be a way to accurately describe how he was feeling. Just as he decided to try and form some kind of sentence, Natsu leaned forward, startling Zeref as the dragon slayer pressed his lips against his own. Natsu was not gentle in any way, demanding and harsh as he pressed Zeref against himself. The black wizard felt his body sink into the kiss, feeling the warmth of Natsu's body against his own as he let go of his fears for just a moment. For the first time in nearly a century, Zeref felt happy with something in his life, and that was what led him to close his eyes and lean into Natsu, for just a moment.

That second ended, however, with a flash of memory in Zeref's mind. He recalled this sensation before, this feeling of happiness and warmth just before he held Mavis' body, still and lifeless in his arms after he told her just how he truly felt about the girl. His eyes flashed open, shoving Natsu away and putting some space between them as his breathing began to quicken, his head pounding suddenly with the change in his thoughts. He could not do this again, and that fear was what made him vanish from Natsu's sight in seconds, teleporting out into the fields just in front of the academy rather than his room. His magic unleashed itself seconds later, swarming around the grass and killing the life here for a third time. As it did so, tears ran down Zeref's face, sobbing as he realized just how much this curse was taking away from him. He could not love anyone, for in his world, to love would be to destroy.

 **Yay, I made my goal for this story! I wanted to have this chapter out by Valentine's day, and it seems as if I have succeeded. Bonus points to anyone who can catch the reference to one of my favorite books at the end of the chapter. For everyone else, feel free to review and tell me what you think!**


	28. Chapter 28

**Disclaimer:** I am not the owner of Fairy Tail

Natsu was quiet when he found Zeref in the field, seeing the boy sobbing in a circle of death. It was clear to anyone watching what had just happened, and Natsu didn't really know what to do to help. He stepped forward, seeing Zeref's gaze turn towards him for a moment, holding his hand up in warning. "No…I'm sorry, but…I can't go through this again," Zeref stated after a few moments, taking in a shaky breath as he rose to his feet.

Natsu nodded, running a hand through his hair. "Well…what about after your curse is gone?" he asked, seeing Zeref close his eyes. The black wizard was far more shaken up than Natsu was used to seeing, and Zeref was doing his best to return to his usual mindset. He had to focus once again on death, on what it could bring the world.

He had done some good with his death magic, in a strange way. Hades had been the leader of a dark guild, intent on slaying thousands of people. His death meant others could live. The deaths of other dark guild members did the same, important in many ways to protect the world from harm. Sometimes, Zeref mused, people needed to die in order to keep the world safe.

Glancing over at Natsu, Zeref nodded, a sign that he was slightly more in control of himself again. "I…I do not even know if it can be eliminated," Zeref said at last, glancing over at Natsu.

The dragon slayer grinned at him, looking confident as he stood in the field across from him. "I don't care if you say it's impossible, I'll find a way. You mean a lot to me, Zeref, and I'm not just going to sit back and let you suffer," he insisted, while Zeref slowly nodded, smiling over at Natsu.

"I see," he said quietly, gazing up towards the sky. "In that case, I believe I shall be looking forward to the day you discover such a thing. Perhaps we can convince Ankhseram to be lenient, it would be the easiest path for us."

Thinking about that, Zeref realized that perhaps there was something else here that could be of use to them. Natsu watched as Zeref moved back towards the academy, stepping inside his room to search for the book once more. It was strange; each spell he was searching for in here seemed to all tie back into celestial magic, rather than what he was most known for. Even the one he pulled out now, a book that had not been seen or touched by anyone other than himself, focused on utilizing celestial magic in a form few thought to do.

Stepping out of the academy with the book in tow, Zeref opened it up to see if the object was still here. Nestled within the pages was a single black key, designed much like a gate key would be, but much darker in nature. He had found it long ago, when he went inside the home of a celestial wizard in his village to bury her and her family. The key had been intriguing to him, not matching anything he had heard of about celestial magic. It took him a long time to find what it was, and when he did, it seemed cruel to leave such a key in his hands. That was why he hidden the key and the book out of sight, abandoned under the floor of his room and sealed with his own magic, much like he had done to his door.

Carrying it now, Zeref felt something he had not felt the last time he saw this key. He was hopeful, seeing an opportunity for his future that had not been there before. "Hey, what's that? It looks like one of Lucy's gate keys," Natsu commented, seeing the key Zeref had pulled out of the book.

Zeref nodded, smiling over at him as he closed his fist over the key. "It is, though it is far different than any gate key you've heard of. Lucy should be more than capable of utilizing it. I think it is time for us to return to your guild, I shall explain this to them when we arrive."

Natsu grinned, looking eager to get started. "Sounds great! See, you're already starting to act like part of the team,"

Zeref nodded, grabbing Natsu's hand to teleport away. He had done this before, but for some reason, it felt strange holding the dragon slayer's hand again. He felt like he could focus on its warmth a bit more now, the way it felt comfortable and easy to be around him.

Shaking his head, Zeref cleared his thoughts and simply focused on teleporting away. As soon as he was back, he released Natsu's hand, closing his eyes for a moment to try and see if his magic was on the verge of acting out or not. The dragon slayer waited, seeing Zeref's struggle. After a few moments, Zeref let out a deep breath, opening his eyes and nodding towards Natsu. "I didn't realize it could get like this. I mean, usually you're good at keeping that magic of yours under control."

Zeref nodded, focusing on the street ahead of them as they moved towards the guild hall. "We didn't truly begin speaking until I had forgotten the value of life, almost completely. It makes it quite easy to keep my magic in check, but now, I am starting to value it once more," Zeref explained. "It could be worse, I suppose. For Mavis, it was a lot like when you switched bodies with me. Luckily, I had begun my path after seeing far too much death. That had already limited my hope for salvation, my hope in the idea that people were meant to live long lives."

Natsu nodded, frowning as they opened the doors of the guild. "Yeah, I guess. I just hope we find an answer before you get really bad like that. I don't think it would be that pleasant for you or anyone else if your curse becomes that strong."

Zeref nodded in agreement, sitting down at a table in the corner of the guild. It was just as rowdy as the last time he was here, with people talking loudly amongst themselves at various spots. It was a bit later, so the guild was emptier than usual, but there were still wizards gathering and enjoying their time with each other.

Natsu let Zeref remain off in the corner, scanning the guild for Lucy, Erza, Wendy, or Gray. "I don't think they're here right now. Erza and Gray are probably finishing up that job of theirs still," Natsu commented, sniffing the air. "It doesn't smell like they've been here today, either."

Zeref nodded, moving to leave if they were not present. "I suppose we will seek them out tomorrow, then."

Natsu shook his head, grinning over at Zeref as he began walking through the streets. "Nah, we'll go find Lucy! She's probably at home, and its been a while since I stopped by to visit."

Zeref nodded, following after the dragon slayer through the streets of Magnolia. It did not take them long to reach the small canal he had seen during his initial introduction to the city. Natsu walked by it, passing next to a bridge before stopping at a brown building. Lights could be seen illuminating some of the windows, and with a grin, Natsu began to actually climb up the wall. "Natsu…would it not be more polite to utilize the door?"

Natsu glanced down at Zeref, shaking his head. "You sound like Lucy now. This is more fun, and besides, I come in through here all the time."

Zeref was beginning to see why Lucy was not too fond of Natsu's visits, if this was how they began. Still, he needed to speak with her and he did not know which door was hers, so he began to follow the dragon slayer. It wasn't too difficult to climb up to the window, and after Natsu was inside, Zeref followed after him.

The room itself seemed quite organized, with a bed resting under the window he had just crawled through. A small coffee table sat in the center of the room, with a desk by the bed that Lucy seemed to use for writing. At the moment, the room appeared to be empty, however, a door opened and someone else walked in. Steam seemed to come from that room, and Lucy glanced around, a towel wrapped around her body and her hair before she spotted Zeref and Natsu. "What are you two doing in my room?" she demanded, rushing forward and slamming her foot into Natsu. "Learn to knock, you idiot!"

Natsu was sent flying into the wall, looking rather irritated as he rubbed his cheek in irritation from the slightly painful kick. "Come on, Lucy. Zeref had something he wanted to talk to you about, so I thought I'd show him how to get in."

"Oh no, why did you do that? Now I'm going to have another creep constantly breaking into my room…" she complained, looking miserable at the idea.

Zeref glanced between them, shaking his head with a small frown. "I apologize for being rude, I would have utilized the door if I was aware of its location. Natsu told me he came in through the window often, so I did not realize it was an issue."

Lucy sighed, moving back into the bathroom for a moment. When she came out, she was dressed in clothes at least. "Yeah, Natsu doesn't really think things through that often," she commented. "So, what did you want to talk to me about?"

Zeref had hoped to explain this with everyone present, but it really was only necessary for Lucy to understand the majority of what was going on with this. "It may take some time," he warned, seeing Lucy sit down next to her table. Zeref sat across her, with Natsu on the other side of him. "Have you ever heard of the Gateway of the Gods?"

Lucy laughed at his words, looking amused. "That old myth? Come on, every celestial wizard knows that it isn't real."

Natsu frowned, glancing over at them with confusion. Unlike Lucy, he had seen the strange key, and he would be more likely to believe in what was only seen as a myth in the current age. "What is it? I mean, if you've heard of it, what is it supposed to do?"

Lucy smiled, happy to tell the story she had heard long ago from her mother. "Well, I can't remember all of the details, it was my mother who told me about it when I was a child. From what I understood, the Gateway of the Gods was something only special celestial wizards could access, opening a gate for us to pass through into another realm where gods existed. The story was used to explain why no one had seen a god in Fiore, even though everyone insists they are real."

Zeref nodded, setting the book he had in his arms down on the table. "In essence, that is what it is meant to do. However, the reason it has been forgotten is because the key was locked away four hundred years ago," Zeref stated, opening the book and revealing the small black key within the pages.

Lucy's eyes went wide, staring at it in shock. "A black gate key? That's not possible! Only…only silver and gold keys exist, this one has to be a fake."

Zeref smiled, picking up the key and twirling it between his fingers. "No, I assure you, it is quite real. There must be a connection between our realm and that of the gods, in order for their influence to still reach us."

Lucy rolled her eyes at him, not looking convinced. "Yeah, I hate to break it to you, but there hasn't been interference from gods in our world. I mean, those are just children's stories that no one believes anymore."

Natsu was frowning, his mouth open to argue, but Zeref interjected before the dragon slayer could get too angry. "In the eyes of many, that is correct. I grew up during a time when such stories were reality, when people truly feared the gods that ruled over our world," Zeref told her, watching Lucy blink and lean back, looking uncomfortable.

"Right…sorry, it's easy to forget how old you really are. I didn't mean to offend you or anything…I just, well, it doesn't make a lot of sense to me."

Zeref nodded, setting the key down next to the book. "It is fine, even I did not listen to the warnings I was given about such things," Zeref said, glancing down at the table. "My curse…the one you and your friends seek to end, it was given to me by a god known as Ankhseram, the ruler of life and death. In order to even begin to end my curse, we must first attempt to reason with him for mercy. To do that, we shall need someone to open the Gateway of the Gods for us to pass through."

Natsu glanced over at Lucy, seeing her frowning as she focused on the table. "Come on, Lucy, you know he's not lying to you. I mean, what else could create such a weird curse?"

Lucy glared at him, not looking too happy with his comment. "You know, I still don't even know what his curse is, you idiot. I mean, sure he's mentioned Ankhseram before, but I didn't realize who that guy was meant to be."

Zeref sighed, realizing that this might take more time than he had originally thought it would. "It is known as the Curse of Contradictions. The more I value life, the more I am forced to take it away. In addition to this death magic, I am also given immortality, the reason why I have been around for centuries without ever aging or being killed."

"Wait…that doesn't make sense to me. How is Natsu still alive then? I mean, I get that you don't really know me that well…but you seem somewhat, uh, closer, to Natsu."

Natsu grinned, pulling at the ends of his scarf. "Igneel's scarf can absorb his magic. When it goes off, this keeps me alive. I mean, it's a bit weird and still dangerous, but it works for now."

Lucy was about to reply when the door to her apartment opened, without any warning. Two more wizards seemed to walk into her room, Erza and Gray, making themselves at home while Lucy stared at them in wide-eyed shock. "It appears that Natsu and Zeref really had gathered here. Mira was right when she said they were looking for her," Erza commented, glancing at the group in the room.

Gray nodded, his shirt missing as he moved to join them. "Yeah, saves us some time. We decided we've got to get to work on breaking this curse of yours. It'll take some time, most curses aren't that easy to undo."

Zeref nodded, glancing over at Lucy. "Yes, however, the one who placed it on me could undo it quite easily," he stated, holding out the key to her once more. "All that I need is for Lucy to open up the path for me. I may understand much about the concepts of celestial magic, but using it is quite difficult for me. It is still a mystery how I managed to utilize Eclipse Flash to stop the gate, and I do not want to attempt even more powerful magic than that spell."

She grabbed the key, looking hesitant at his comment about magic. "Wait, is it really that powerful? I mean, opening gates doesn't take that much energy at all," she said, sounding confused.

"I agree. Lucy has more than enough power to summon any spirit you wish to bring here. There should not be a concern about this one," Erza insisted.

Zeref glanced over at them, rising to his feet. "This is no simple summoning, Lucy Heartfilia. Opening the Gateway of the Gods takes more magical energy than it takes to summon two of the zodiac at once. The realm of the gods resists any form of intrusion, unlike the celestial spirit world. Passing into that place requires immense focus and power, even with the key you now hold."

"Wait, is this going to be dangerous for her?" Natsu asked, glancing over at Zeref. "I mean, if she uses all of her energy opening this gate for us, she won't be able to use her magic once we're there."

Gray nodded, glancing over at Lucy with a serious expression on his face. "Well, there's also the risk of draining even more than that, Natsu. If Lucy uses even more power than what she's capable of, the spell could kill her," Gray added, before the black wizard could speak.

The celestial wizard was looking nervous now, but Zeref was focusing on her while the others debated the risks. "Her power will be enough," Zeref said at last, seeing all of them glance over towards him in surprise. "She is the heir to the most powerful line of celestial wizards in history. If anyone can open the Gateway of the Gods, it would be her."

Gray and Erza frowned, looking uncomfortable with the mention of Lucy's past. Natsu simply looked interested, walking over to Zeref with his eyebrows raised. "Really? You knew Lucy's ancestors?"

Zeref nodded, glancing over at her. "Yes, in fact, it was Anna Heartfilia who first activated the Eclipse Gate for me. Layla did it again, nearly two decades ago," Zeref stated. He had to avoid getting to close to the exact date, or else it would become clear what Eclipse had been used for back then.

Lucy looked surprised at the mention of her mother, glancing at him in surprise. "My mother? I didn't know she did anything like that. I mean, she had magic and told me about her spirits, but she never really went much further to explain it to me."

Zeref nodded, realizing why she had done such a thing quite easily. "Your family has been heir to…a strange task that was given to them generations ago. Your mother wished to avoid bringing you into it, so she kept you as far away from magic as she could. In the end, she completed the task for your family, and freed you to use your magic as you pleased."

Lucy nodded, holding out the key in her hand. "So, I open it like I would any other gate, right?" she asked, focusing back on the task at hand.

Zeref nodded, standing behind her. "Yes, that is exactly how this works. We will pass through as quickly as possible, and the gateway will close once you pass through yourself." Zeref explained. "Returning requires the same process, though the energy to return is far less than what you use to get to their realm in the first place."

Gray glanced over at him, frowning in confusion. "You know, I'm still lost as to why we even need to go to another realm for this in the first place. Who the hell did you manage to piss off?"

Zeref glanced over at Gray, giving him a rather dark smile. "Ankhseram, the god of life and death. There is a reason my magic is death magic, after all."

"I see, it would also explain the living magic he is known for as well." Erza commented, while Zeref remained silent in return. She was not correct about who had caused that, but he was not willing to speak about that part of his past to everyone. He trusted Natsu, but the rest of these people were strangers. Their power was useful to get to Ankhseram, but he had little need for them beyond that at the moment.

Lucy nodded in agreement, holding the key out in front of her body with a determined look on her face. "Open, Gateway of the Gods!" she shouted, slashing the key through the air. A familiar sight of golden celestial magic appeared, a circle flashing for a moment before the energy increased dramatically in the room. The circle transformed, becoming a pure white hole in the air in front of Lucy, at the tip of the key in her hand.

Natsu glanced over at Zeref, nodding at the sight of the gate. "Alright, this is our way in. Let's get going!" Natsu declared, charging forward. Erza and Gray followed after him, with Zeref moving in the back. Lucy was breathing heavily as she kept the gate opened, sweat beading on her brow as Zeref passed through. She followed after, the gate vanishing from sight and leaving them in a new world, where gods existed to rule over the human race.

 **Please review and tell me what you think!**


	29. Chapter 29

**Disclaimer:** I am not the owner of Fairy Tail

The new realm was not what Zeref had expected for a world of gods. It didn't look that different from Earthland, a place with plants on the ground and trees growing around them. The main difference was the lack of inhabitants, or at least, what appeared to be something of that nature.

Zeref was standing in a forest with the other wizards, surrounded by natural wonders that were slowly being taken away from the world in Earthland. People tore down forests like this to build homes, but here, Zeref did not see signs of a single street paved in the ground. He also did not see homes, so it was likely these gods lived within this wilderness in some form.

Natsu sniffed the air, frowning for a moment. "This place…it smells weird. I'm used to places smelling like more people than this."

Zeref nodded in agreement, moving forward and kneeling down on the grass. There were so many flowers blooming here, under a sunlit sky. Animals walked around them without fear, trusting humans not to kill them unlike animals back in his world. "Yeah, this place just feels weird. Those deer aren't running from us, even though we're walking right by them," Gray commented, seeing the same thing Zeref had seen.

"They are not hunted here. I imagine life is regulated in both realms by Ankhseram, in order to preserve balance," Zeref stated quietly, glancing around with a frown.

"You would be correct, Zeref. I do not recall the last time I met a human capable of coming to this place, yet I am not surprised to see you have found a way," someone stated from behind them.

Zeref turned around, his body tense as he spotted what looked like a child leaning next to a tree. The power Zeref could sense from the boy was immense, however, greater than even Natsu's power and connected to almost everything in this place. His hair was pure white, though his eyes held nothing but black. He wore a simple white robe, his feet bare on the grass beneath him with his cheeks rounded with child-like innocence.

Lucy frowned at him, sitting on the ground behind the majority of their group. Her exhaustion was obvious, but she had managed to bring them all to this place. "Who are you? What do you want with us?"

The child smiled, focusing on Zeref with interest in his eyes. "Zeref knows who I am, don't you?" he asked, tilting his head to the side.

"Ankhseram," Zeref replied calmly, seeing Natsu tense up by his side.

"Wait, this is the guy you were telling me about? He's just a little kid?" Slowly, the dragon slayer began to grin, looking eager as he stepped closer to the god. "Well, I guess this'll be easier than I thought. I'm not gonna even bother with negotiations, I can just beat him here and now."

Ankhseram smiled at Natsu's words, raising his arm towards the dragon slayer. Almost immediately, Natsu began clutching his neck tightly, choking noises coming from his throat as he fell to his knees. Zeref glanced at him in alarm, realizing that Natsu could not breath right now. "No…this does not fall in line with your duties, Ankhersam. Killing Natsu does nothing for the balance of the world," Zeref stated, anger beginning to tint his voice.

The god dropped his hand, leaving Natsu gasping for air on the ground. Gray and Erza moved to help him back to his feet, while Zeref stepped close to the god, narrowing his gaze. "You do not know what I do for the world, nor have you ever shown to care to understand my work. Did you truly think I would be pleased with visitors in my realm? Humans only ever destroy the land they touch, killing it faster than necessary and giving me far more work to do to continue on the balance between life and death."

Zeref nodded in agreement, glancing back towards the others. "There is truth in that statement, however, I did come here for a reason. I tire of my immortal life, and I wish for you to put an end to your curse on me."

Natsu leaned forward in Gray's and Erza's grip, struggling to move towards Zeref. "He…he's learned his lesson…you bastard. Don't…he doesn't need to suffer…" Natsu tried, but it was clear he had not recovered from Ankhseram's spell.

"Natsu, enough. You are too weak to fight, leave this matter to us," Erza ordered, slamming her fist against his head and knocking the dragon slayer out.

Ankhersam watched calmly, turning towards Zeref with a frown. "I see. You've grown to care for him, haven't you? You've suffered this pain before as well," Ankhersam commented. "I do see some progress in you…your only interference lately comes from when the curse I gave you acts out beyond your control. Your killing has slowed considerably, and your acts of bringing things to life ended centuries ago."

Zeref nodded, focusing on the god. "It is not enough, however, to erase all of my sins, is it?"

The god smiled at him, shaking his head. "You truly do understand, then. In that case, I do have some hope for you, Zeref. I do not wish to let you mortals linger here for too long, so I shall make this quick," Ankhersam began. "Find all of your creations, Zeref, anything you've given life to in your world. Destroy them all, and I shall grant you your request. After all, it would take me far too much time out of my schedule to clean up your mess. Do my job for once, and then you will understand why I am so angry with you for your actions."

Zeref blinked at him in surprise, not expecting such a simple task to find peace. "Wait, that's it? Man, this was a waste of time. We could've destroyed your demons before coming here and saved us another trip," Gray commented, looking annoyed.

"Do not mistake my task." Ankhersam stated, focusing on Zeref. "If even one of your creations remains alive, your curse will still remain. I do not believe this will be as simple as you think, Zeref, so be wary and make sure you find them all."

Zeref nodded, frowning in confusion at his words. The god's warning meant something, but he did not know what it was. He felt no more attachment to his creations, and none of them truly posed a threat to him. END may have at one point in time, but with the demon's power sealed away, he could simply destroy the book to end his life. Still, he had to be missing something, so he remained lost in thought as the others stared at him.

Ankhseram smiled at Zeref's reaction, glancing over at the others. "Now that I have given him my warning, I shall leave you with one as well. Do not linger in this place, for I will not take kindly to those who harm my realm of balance."

With those words, the child vanished from sight. "So, just how many demons did he just ask you to kill?" Gray asked, glancing over at Zeref.

The black wizard thought for a moment, trying to remember just how many of them were still alive. "Eleven, maybe twelve, I believe. Most of my creations died long ago from other means. Only a few remain."

Erza smiled, walking over and picking up Natsu before moving towards Lucy on the ground. "Well, then it appears we have work to do. Now, our task is simply to track these demons down and end them."

Zeref nodded, sure that it would be simple for most of them. Still, he could not shake off the sense of foreboding he felt from Ankhseram's words. Something was off with this task, with how simple it appeared to be. Zeref knew he would find a challenge from it at some point, but he was determined to get through it no matter how much he had to struggle. He had gone through pain before, and this was now his path to peace. Once all of this was over, he would finally be capable of embracing his future with Natsu, one which the dragon slayer was just as eager to begin.

* * *

When Zeref returned back, there was one order of business to take care of first. "Natsu needs to rest. If he asks about me, tell him that I have something to take care of in my empire."

"Wait, you're leaving? We need to start tracking down these demons of yours. I thought you wanted to end this curse of yours as soon as possible," Lucy commented, looking confused.

Zeref nodded, glancing away from her with a small smile. "Two of them are members of my elite guard. They are not like the others, more powerful than the ones you will find elsewhere," Zeref explained. "It will be a small matter for me to unmake them. In essence, I am their master since I created them. I have the power to destroy them in an instant, regardless of how powerful the demon itself is."

Gray looked surprised, glancing at him with a frown. "Seriously? Man, how is this supposed to be a challenge then? I mean, Ankhseram seemed to insist that we'd struggle with this somehow."

Zeref nodded, frowning over that as well. "I am unsure of what he meant, however, there is one demon that may pose a problem to us. END, my most powerful creation ever, is not under my control like the rest. He…well, it would be difficult to explain why, but unlike the others, he has more independence from my power."

The others were his to control because he had created them from nothing. They were creations entirely of his own magic, so all he had to do was end his own spell to end their lives. END was brought back to life, using magic to bring back his soul along with imbuing him with great power. Thus, he was still in possession of his original personality and had the ability to act on his own.

"We shall keep an eye out for this END, then. Good luck on locating these demons of yours in Alvarez." Erza told him, carrying Natsu into the guild hall. With a sigh, Zeref closed his eyes, returning to his home. He was glad he had ruled this place so strictly, otherwise there would be a political mess to deal with over what he was about to do.

He walked into the castle, quickly finding August inside, studying over a few reports about the current status of their military. "August, where are Bloodman and Larcade? Shouldn't they have returned now that the uprising was halted?" Zeref asked, glancing over at his closest general.

August nodded, setting down the paperwork and glancing over towards Zeref. "Welcome back, your majesty. Irene has been in one of her moods again ever since you left, though that is to be expected after seeing her daughter once more. I don't think I'll ever truly understand that bond, the one between a parent and their child."

Zeref sighed, wondering if the man had heard his initial question. "Regardless, your other generals are still hard at work in the nation." August added, glancing over at Zeref. "Would you like me to summon them here for a meeting?"

Zeref shook his head, rising to his feet with a harsh expression on his face. "No, this is a private matter. Bloodman and Larcade have displeased me as of late, and I wish to show them the punishment for their actions." It wasn't entirely accurate, but he had many reasons for disliking both demons at the moment.

August nodded, aware that it was unwise to pry into his emperor's business. "Of course. Last I heard, they were working together in Shalir to repair the damage Irene had done. Larcade is calming the townsfolk, while Bloodman is working on rebuilding."

Zeref nodded, not wanting to wait a moment longer to deal with them. He vanished from sight in the room, reappearing once more in the ruins of Shalir. It had not been long since the battle here, but it appeared as if things were moving forward. He walked through the ruined streets, closing his eyes to try and sense the presence of his two etherious. As hard as he tried, nothing seemed to come to his senses that felt like either of them.

The city itself seemed to be entirely deserted at the moment, though one person walked forward from the remains. This was a familiar face, a slender girl with short blond hair and a smile on her face. "Welcome back, Emperor Spriggan. I've been having some fun with this town of ours, I hope you don't mind," Dimaria commented.

Zeref did not care what she did, not when he was losing his patience quickly. "I am searching for Bloodman and Larcade. Where have they gone?" he demanded, seeing Dimaria smile at him even further.

"Aww, you're looking a little annoyed. Well, I guess it is best I cooperate for now, then. Those two left almost the minute they showed up. After all, my power is far better suited to helping this place than theirs is," she explained. "To be honest, I have no clue where they ended up."

Zeref sighed, closing his eyes for a moment before nodding in acknowledgement. "Very well, thank you for your assistance. Continue with your work, Dimaria, and do make sure you check back with August and Invel soon. There are some updates to our agenda that are quite important for you to understand."

Dimaria nodded, going back towards the town as Zeref moved out. It seemed like he would be having more troubles with this in the future. As annoying as it was, he would search every inch of his empire if he had to. Larcade and Bloodman would find their end. It would only be a matter of time before he found them and finished the task given to him by Ankhseram. Then, he simply would have to deal with Tartaros and freedom would be his.

 **This story is finally nearing its end! Sorry I tried to start so many stories at once after beginning this one...it resulted in a lot of delays on updates that probably could have been avoided if I just put my focus on one story at a time instead. Either way, I hope you enjoyed. Feel free to review and tell me what you think!**


	30. Chapter 30

**Disclaimer:** I am not the owner of Fairy Tail

Tracking down Larcade and Bloodman grew to be tiring, taking far too much time for Zeref. Destroying them had been easy when he finally found them, relaxing at a small resort in one of the port towns of the Alvarez Empire. By the time he did so, however, more than a month had passed and he was still no where closer to knowing Tartaros' current location.

Zeref sighed, returning to Magnolia now that he had finally finished his mission to destroy the two Etherious within his own empire. He had expected to be greeted with an angry dragon slayer, who would demand to know why he had been missing for so long. Instead, the guild was abnormally quiet, with Makarov looking grave in front of the wizards gathered. Zeref had slipped in quietly, observing from the back while the others remained focused on the news he was bringing them.

"The entire magic council…has been wiped out in one attack." Makarov stated darkly, leaving Zeref staring at him with wide eyes. "We do not know why this occurred or what will happen next, but we must be strong. Fairy Tail will always persevere, and we will not let this new enemy destroy the lives we worked so hard to create."

Others cheered in agreement, looking happy with his comment, but Zeref stepped forward and focused on Makarov. "Was this done by Tartaros?" he asked. The others looked surprised by his presence, a few of them still unsure of if he could be trusted or not. Lucy glanced over at him with shock, aware that he had been gone for some time. Her reaction was nothing compared to Natsu's, however. The dragon slayer rose to his feet, walking towards Zeref with a glare on his face.

"You…where the hell did you go?" he demanded. "Erza said you were just dealing with something back in Alvarez, but that doesn't explain vanishing for over a month right after we found our answer."

Zeref would explain this to Natsu later, right now he had other concerns to deal with. Makarov was nodding towards Zeref, looking grave. "I will explain this later, Natsu. Right now, we have larger concerns to deal with." Zeref stated. "I did not realize they were willing to go this far…Tartaros may be more troublesome than I first thought."

Makarov walked closer to Zeref, while the other wizards seemed to go back to their usual activities inside the guild hall. "Are you saying you know what they are after?" the guild master asked, while Zeref nodded.

"It…they wish to awaken him." Zeref said after a few moments, glancing over at Natsu. "However, they do not possess the power to lift the seal on their own. Instead, they are activating a weapon created by your own magic council. The seal on that weapon is one that they can indeed release, and if the weapon is used, magic will vanish entirely from this world."

"How do you know so much about this?" Makarov demanded. "We don't have many reasons to trust you at the moment, so I'll need more than just your word."

Zeref glanced away, looking out over the guild. "It was something I prepared for…when I was seeking out more power. You are aware of what I wished to obtain, Makarov." he stated, glancing over at the guild master. Makarov glanced away, looking down at the ground thoughtful as Zeref continued. "To do so, I had to plan for the fact that such a war would not go unnoticed by your magic council. I did my own research on them, and I discovered some interesting things about what they have the potential to do. Face is the name of the weapon they possess, and by destroying magic with it, Tartaros can break the magic seal on END's power and bring out the true demon within him."

Natsu glanced over at Zeref, focused on him instead. "Wait…isn't this the demon that is supposed to be powerful enough to destroy you?"

Zeref nodded, glancing around the guild with a frown. "Yes, though I do believe I can prevent this from occurring. If I can find a council member with one of the organic links, I may be able to have Irene transfer it to me."

"I shall see what we can come up with. For now, what is the best way to ensure that Face does not detonate?" Makarov asked.

Zeref glanced away, focusing on the guild with a determined expression. "I had not expected to come back to another disaster, but it appears we can handle it quite well," Zeref stated. "Locate any former council members. The seal on Face is the result of organic link magic, tying the spell to the lives of council members who are not even aware of the seal within them."

"Natsu, I am aware that you wish to speak with me, but it is not the time at the moment. There were…a few important things to take care of in my empire," Zeref stated, glancing over at Makarov with a frown. "Larcade and Bloodman are no longer among my guard. In fact, both of them are now dead."

Natsu looked a bit surprised at this, seeing the guild master look just as stunned. "Members of the Spriggan Twelve….they have been killed?" Makarov demanded.

Zeref nodded, glancing away with a sigh. "It has been dealt with. That is why I've returned, to continue working with Natsu and his team. We are working on breaking a rather powerful curse at the moment, and it appears to be taking longer than I thought it would."

Erza and Gray had joined them then, having spotted the dragon slayer, Zeref, and Makarov speaking together near the bar. "Zeref, it is good to see you again. Did you finish your mission in Alvarez?" Erza asked, glancing around the group.

Zeref nodded, focusing around at the guild. "Yes…I wonder…Erza, do you happen to know where I can find Jellal? I seem to recall him mentioning once being a member of the council."

"You don't think…is he one of the seals?" Natsu asked, his eyes wide.

Zeref nodded, glancing over at Erza. "I…I don't keep track of him that often. I mean, it's not like we're that close…or, well, we're friends, but I—" she was muttering, looking uncomfortable over the matter.

Gray sighed, shaking his head at the armored wizard. "Last we heard, he was breaking the Oraccion Seis out of prison. They nearly got caught by some of the rune knights, so it was announced to the public a while back."

Zeref nodded, wondering where Jellal would have moved on to next. "More searching…it is looking like I am wasting much of my time on such things."

With a frown, he wondered if his telepathy might work to contact them. It usually did not have much range, but it would function if the man was nearby to investigate this disaster himself. _Jellal, can you hear me?_ Zeref asked, waiting to see if a connection had been formed. His magic was reaching out towards the familiar magical energy belonging to Jellal, but he did not know if it would reach.

He thought he had failed, leaving Zeref glancing away with a sigh before a very faint reply came in. _Is this…Zeref? I was not aware that telepathy was within your capabilities._ Jellal commented.

Zeref smiled, looking pleased with his plans. "He's nearby. If I can contact him through telepathy, he must be within a hundred miles of the guild hall," he explained to the others, focusing on Jellal again. _I never wished to reveal my magic to you in the first place, Jellal. Now, however, I have a very different issue. You are aware of the recent attack on Era, correct?_

Jellal's response was somewhat stronger now, telling Zeref that he was moving closer. _Yes, we are aware. We were traveling to see if we could receive aid from Fairy Tail once more to stop Tartaros from finishing whatever plan they have in mind._

Zeref nodded, glancing over at his friends. _Fairy Tail is already aware of the problem. In fact, I intend on finishing off Tartaros myself, since it will be far easier for me to do so than it will be for any other wizard. I am contacting you with a warning. It is very likely that you are among the targets, since you were once a member of the magic council. Be on your guard, Jellal, for the power of Tartaros is a power I created to destroy myself._

Zeref ended the connection with that, a new plan forming in his mind. He would handle Tartaros before Face became active. "Is Jellal safe? Have they attacked him?" Erza demanded, while Zeref shook his head.

"No, but I do realize I have a far quicker method of stopping this." Zeref stated, glancing over at Natsu. "This may be risky. Teleportation usually requires exact knowledge of your destination. If you wish to come with me, we may find ourselves falling from the sky in the middle of nowhere."

Natsu looked surprised, but he grinned in agreement. "Of course I'm coming! After all, I went through all that training of yours to try and beat these demons you made."

Zeref nodded, glancing over at the others with a serious expression. "This is not your battle, Fairy Tail. Tartaros is my own creation, thus it is my job to destroy it. When we return, those demons will have perished by my hand, and we will be looking at a brighter future."

"Hey, this isn't what the plan was, Zeref! You've got people to help you now, so rely on your friends," Gray stated, looking irritated with Zeref's change of plans.

The black wizard glanced over at Gray, shaking his head at the ice wizard. "No, you will not be pleased with what you find there," he stated quietly. "One of my demons is a necromancer, and from what I've heard he brought back someone to add to the ranks of Tartaros."

Gray didn't seem to understand why this was important, scowling in irritation. "Who cares? Just because someone has died and come back, doesn't mean I can't fight them and win."

"You will not be capable of doing what needs to be done. It is more of a struggle than you'd think, to kill someone you care for," Zeref told him darkly, reaching over towards Natsu's hand. "Natsu and I will be more than enough to handle them. Make sure you keep the former councilors safe."

Before anyone else could argue, Zeref attempted his teleportation spell to the cube that housed Tartaros. He understood the layout of the interior of the guild, but that did not mean he knew where in the air it was floating. That is why when he first attempted his spell, he appeared in he sky, falling towards the ground. "Natsu, do not release my hand until I get us to our destination," Zeref ordered, remaining calm as the dragon slayer looked around in shock.

"Come on, why the hell did you bring us here anyway?" Natsu demanded, just as Zeref teleported them away again from their spot in the air, moving hopefully closer to the cube.

"I do not know exactly where their guild is at the moment. Tartros' headquarters is constantly moving, it is difficult to pinpoint its location," Zeref explained, seeing that they were falling once more. Natsu groaned in irritation, glancing around the sky as Zeref moved them once more.

"Well, while we're stuck doing this, you can at least explain what was going on in Alvarez that made you leave for so long," Natsu stated, looking irritated over that still.

Zeref nodded, glancing around the sky to make sure he could not see Tartaros nearby before leaving the next miss. "Two of my Etherious were members of the Spriggan Twelve. I had thought I would be able to locate them quickly, however, they proved to be difficult to track down."

Natsu nodded, glancing around as this time, a cube became visible in the sky in front of them. "So, Tartaros should be the last of them, right?"

Zeref nodded, teleporting one last time so they could arrive at the guild. Zeref and Natsu stood inside, seeing stone walls around them as Natsu frowned around the guild. "I don't see anybody. Where are they?" Natsu asked, glancing around.

"They are here, though perhaps a few are out to attack the former council members." Zeref commented. "If that is the case, they will be summoned back when Mard Geer sees that I am present."

Natsu glanced over at Zeref, nodding even though he had no clue who this guy was. "Alright, so are we going to be looking—" Natsu began, but that was when someone came walking down the hall, a slight smile on her face.

"Lord Zeref….you've finally returned to us. That makes me so happy to see," Kyoka stated, a female demon who glanced over at Natsu with distasted. "Unfortunately, we have no use for others. Maybe I can have a little fun with you before you go," she insisted, walking towards Natsu with a hand outstretched.

Zeref glared over at her, not pleased that she was threatening the dragon slayer. "Kyoka, you will not lay a finger on Natsu," Zeref stated, walking forward.

"Of course…you have no idea how long we've waited for this moment, Lord Zeref. All of us, we were waiting to return to your side and grant you your wish," she insisted reverently, pulling away from Natsu to focus on him. "After all, it is only you who can revive Master END, the one who can use his strength to awaken our master's true power."

Zeref nodded, still glaring over at her. "END is not to be awakened. I came to this land, only to discover you pesky little demons of mine trying to undo my own actions. How did you think that would please me?"

Kyoka looked startled, taking a step back. Behind her, another demon was coming closer, having returned to the cube recently. "This is not the story I imagined unfolding here," Seilah stated, golden horns poking out of her dark black hair. "Lord Zeref, surely you wish to have your most powerful and loyal of demons on your side?"

Natsu had flames dancing on his fists, looking eager to fight them. "I don't care what you say, this is how the story is really going. We're gonna kick your asses and show you what happens when you mess with us."

Seilah looked amused, glancing over at Natsu with a small smile. "Is that so? My curse power says otherwise." she commented. As Natsu rushed forward, Seilah took control of him, his body going still and freezing in the room. "I will rewrite this story, to the one we have all hoped to become a reality."

Kyoka smiled over at Seilah, looking pleased with her actions. "Excellent work Seilah. We will use this boy against Lord Zeref, if only to show him the path he should have been taking," she insisted. "I have increased Lord Zeref's sensitivity to pain, that should make your job easier."

Zeref doubted he would be bothered much by such a thing, after suffering from centuries of people attempting to kill him in some form or another. Natsu charged towards the black wizard, looking frustrated as he tried to halt his attack. "Damn it, I can't stop myself!" Natsu complained, his fist colliding with Zeref's stomach and sending the black wizard flying back. It was indeed more sensitive than usual, his burns stinging more and his back feeling more pain from his collision with the wall.

Zeref narrowed his gaze at Seilah, his eyes flashing red. "Making him attack someone he cares for, that is unforgivable. I know the pain of harming one you care for, and that is what is truly unbearable," Zeref stated, rising to his feet and glaring at the demon. The girl still looked calm, sending Natsu towards Zeref again, but this time, Zeref dodged, glancing back at Natsu with a frown. "I am sorry, Natsu. This will be over soon."

He turned back towards Seilah, waving his hand and transforming her expression into shock for just a moment. Her entire body shrunk down, becoming a small book on the ground. As soon as she had finished transforming, Natsu regained control of his body and turned around, ready to charge back into battle. "Alright, I've got control back! Now, let me destroy that demon. I've gotta show her what I'm made of, after that little dirty trick of hers."

Zeref lifted up her book, holding it out towards Natsu. "This is what remains of her, if you wish to destroy it." Zeref told him, glancing around. Kyoka seemed to have vanished and left Seilah to deal with them. Natsu stared at Seilah's book for a few moments, before taking it and lighting the book on fire, burning it completely. "Kyoka likely went to inform Mard Geer of my presence here."

Natsu nodded, grinning as he moved down the hall of this place. "Alright, so long as we don't run into another crazy girl like Seilah, I think we'll be fine," he insisted. "Sorry about that, by the way. Are you okay? I mean, that other demon said she made it more painful or something for you."

Zeref nodded, glancing down the hall. "I am fine, Kyoka's curse may affect my senses, but it is nothing I cannot handle," he commented. glancing over at Natsu. "All of these demons utilize power of a similar nature, however. Seilah's curse was the ability to control others, Kyoka can alter your senses, and others can do even more. From what I've gathered, you are likely best suited to defeating Jackal, a demon who turns everything he touches into a bomb."

Natsu nodded, glancing around the area. "If you run into Silver, he is the oddity among Tartaros. His magic will be similar, though a bit weaker, to Invel's," Zeref added, focusing on the dragon slayer.

"Yeah, I think I'll just do better without all this stuff. I mean, I've never really gone through the effort of studying my opponents before, so I'm used to just adapting as the fight goes on."

Zeref nodded, not wishing to argue. After all, if he came into more problems, Zeref would be there to finish taking down the demon. He wouldn't take away all of Natsu's fun, because it was clear that the dragon slayer wished to fight, but he would not allow harm to come to the boy. With that in mind, Zeref smiled and moved deeper into Tartaros' base, seeking out the last of his demons to free himself of this curse.

 **Tartaros is going to go by fairly quickly...I mean, Zeref did create them, so it just makes sense that it wouldn't be any trouble at all for him to unmake them. Either way, feel free to review and tell me what you think!**


	31. Chapter 31

**Disclaimer:** I am not the owner of Fairy Tail

As Zeref moved along the halls of Tartaros, it did not take long for the next demon to discover them. One of them stood on the far end of the room Zeref had entered, with a fish-like face and an eager grin. "There you are, Lord Zeref. Allow me to handle this little intruder of ours, then we will properly have our reunion," Torafuzar stated.

Zeref did not like this plan, already moving to steal away the magic that kept the demon alive. His spell was interrupted, however, by the flooding of the hall with dark, murky water. Zeref glanced around with wide eyes, seeing Natsu swimming around in it with a frown, confused as to the threat. Torafuzar swam through the currents with ease, flying into Natsu and sending the dragon slayer towards the wall. Even with the momentum being slowed from the water around him, Natsu's collision with the wall was quite fierce.

Zeref glared at the demon, displeased with this action as well. "No one harms Natsu. He is very precious to me," he insisted, raising his hands in a circular motion, before holding them in front of his body with a strange hand gesture. This was his death magic, and he didn't care if it was going overboard against these demons or not. The same spell used against Hades for making him forget the value of life was well suited to taking out the demons who threatened Natsu. "Be gone, and take your poisoned water with you."

Torafuzar stared at Zeref with wide eyes before the spell hit him, leaving the demon dead on the ground. Once he was gone, the water vanished from the room, his curse power no longer able to keep it present around them. Natsu came out gasping for breath, looking angry as Zeref simply sighed. Breathing wasn't something he needed to do, not when he was immortal.

"Oh no, Torafuzar has fallen! How much will his death cost us? How much?" another demon demanded, entering the room and seeing the aftermath of the battle.

Zeref glanced over at him, frowning as Franmalth grinned over at them. "I know, I shall take your delicious soul for myself! Lord Zeref will be pleased to have you in a body that can stay by his side for all of eternity!" the demon insisted, while Natsu moved to dodge Frammalth's hand.

"What the hell? Can this guy seriously do that?" Natsu asked, glancing over at Zeref.

The black wizard nodded, standing calmly in the room, his hair wet and dripping on his face. "Yes, that is his curse power. So long as you remain untouched by him, he cannot reach your soul."

The dragon slayer grinned, looking eager. "Alright then, sounds like a challenge. I'm all fired up."

Zeref stood back as Natsu moved in to attack. This battle was one that had not taken him by surprise, so Natsu should be capable of handling it on his own. "Fire Dragon's Wing Attack!" Natsu shouted, flames flying towards Franmalth from the attack.

The demon stared at it with wide eyes, getting hit by the flames before he moved away. "How dare you harm me? Do you know what this will cost you?" the demon demanded, glaring over at Natsu. Franmalth's arm moved to punch Natsu once more, but the dragon slayer dodged.

"Avoiding you is easy, this is going to be a piece of cake," Natsu insisted with a grin, flames dancing around him once more. "Fire Dragon's Roar!" he shouted, flames shoving Franmalth back and into the wall.

The demon grew even more angered from this attack, glaring over at Natsu. "If that is what you want, then I shall show you my true power!" he insisted, his entire body morphing. Suddenly, the demon before them had taken on a new shape, the image of Hades himself standing before them. "I can take on the magic and form of the souls I absorb! This is the most powerful soul in my collection, the soul of Master Hades!"

Zeref sighed, realizing that his actions on Tenrou Island that day had given Franmalth the chance to do this very thing. Magic chains seemed to spread out from his body, attacking Natsu who dodged them with ease. "Yeah, well do you know who beat him?" Natsu asked, the flames around him changing and having lighting mixing in with them. "I did, with the help of my friends."

Franmalth looked startled, while Natsu's grin widened even further. "Lightning Fire Dragon's Roar!" Natsu shouted, flames and lightning dancing through the air and colliding with Franmalth. The demon was overwhelmed by the power, his body collapsing as the souls he had stolen began leaving his form and into the air, returning to their proper owners. "I got him! Did you see that Zeref? I told ya, I can handle these demons of yours, no problem."

Zeref nodded, seeing his smirk and kneeling down by Franmalth. "Indeed you can. It is best to destroy their books, however. That way, even in this place they cannot be brought back," he informed Natsu, transforming what remained of the demon into the book once more. Natsu burned it away just like he had done with Seilah's, moving on quickly to find their next demon.

"I still don't get what that god was talking about. I mean, how is this challenging for either of us to deal with?" Natsu asked, walking along the halls of Tartaros.

Zeref frowned, aware that this was something to be concerned with. He was missing something, though he did not know what it was he could not figure out. He had little to no attachment to any of these demons, yet Ankhseram's words implied he would hesitate to destroy them for some reason. "I suppose we will determine that issue when we come across it," he stated after a few moments.

Natsu nodded, moving along through the hallway. Zeref was pausing, feeling the temperature growing colder as they went on. "Silver is nearby," he said after a few moments, moving slower as he gazed around the halls. Frost was slowly creeping along the walls, freezing them over and nearing Zeref and Natsu. "He is already dead, my magic will not affect him like it usually would. Our best course of action would be to find and stop Keyes first."

Natsu frowned, seeing a man with short black hair coming closer, the ice following him as he grinned over at the two here. "Well, I'll be damned. It looks like the rumors really are true. Zeref, the legendary black wizard, has decided to grace us with his presence," Silver stated, smirking over at them. "First, let me take care of the trash and then I'll deal with you."

Natsu stared at him, his eyes wide as Silver prepared to attack. "You…you smell like…" he began, but Zeref shoved Natsu back, just as Silver unleashed a torrent of ice towards both of them. Zeref braced himself, feeling the ice freeze over his robes and begin to freeze his own body. The black wizard grimaced, glancing over towards Natsu with a scowl.

"Forget about that, Natsu. Find Keyes, I shall keep Silver busy for now," Zeref ordered, glancing over at Silver. The dragon slayer nodded, moving to leave with one glance over his shoulder at Zeref.

"Be careful, Zeref. I want to come back and find you alive, alright?" It was a ridiculous sentiment, considering Zeref was immortal, but he smiled and nodded anyway. He had spoken of his desire for death enough times for it to truly concern the dragon slayer it seemed.

He didn't even glance at Natsu to respond, letting his black magic swarm outside of his body and shatter the ice building up around him. "I will survive, Natsu. I have never been this close to finding peace before, and I am not about to stop when I've nearly ended my own suffering. Besides, didn't I already promise you that we had a future together, once we finished this?"

Natsu grinned, running off down the halls. "Right. I'll see you soon then, Zeref." Zeref's smile slowly began to fade, turning into focus as he faced off against the ice wizard.

"Protecting another wizard? Well, that doesn't sound like you. To be honest, I was planning on killing you on sight. You are the reason these demons even exist, after all. If I destroy you, it stands to reason that they will die too," Silver commented.

Zeref nodded, glancing around the halls they were in. The room itself was narrow, on the edge of cube with archways mounted on the railing to the left of Zeref. The sun was setting in the distance, dimming the light of their battle as ice coated the room around them. Most people would be frozen in this type of magic, but Zeref had a high resistance to damage from any attack, even magical ones like this. "You are correct in your assumption, however, I am not so easy to kill. I may have let you attempt to do so at one point in time, but I've recently found a reason to keep living on."

Silver grinned over at him, raising an eyebrow at the black wizard. "Is that so? Well, I have to admit, you two do look good together, but I'm afraid I can't let you live on. My goal over all these years has been to destroy these demons from the inside, and now, you've given me the golden key to killing them all in one blow," the ice wizard claimed, holding his hand out with a smirk. Ice began to form, blasting from his palm towards Zeref. The black wizard crossed his arms over his body, bracing himself for the impact that was coming far too quickly to be dodged. The cold bit into his arms, making him grimace as the force threw him backward down the hall, despite his braced stance.

When the blast faded away, Zeref gazed calmly back at Silver. "My magic may be incapable of killing the dead, but that does not mean it lacks force," Zeref stated, a black orb forming in his hand. "Consider yourself luck, Silver Fullbuster. Most wizards would perish instantly from this attack, but you will manage to survive due to Keyes and his spell placed upon your body."

The orb went flying from Zeref's hand, shooting towards Silver and sending the ice mage flying onto the ground. His back dug into the stone flooring, tearing it apart with the armor he wore and leaving rocks torn up from the ground on either side of his body. "Damn…what the hell is that kind of magic?" Silver asked. Zeref remained silent, however, walking closer to Silver as the frostbite on his arms healed over, vanishing due to his own curse.

"You cannot win, Silver. I am immortal, my death cannot be brought about so easily."

Silver grew even more determined, rising to his feet with a glare. "I will do this….if it protects my son from those monsters, I will kill you," he vowed, standing ready with a glare. The ice devil slayer stood back up, looking ready for another attack as he faced off against Zeref again. "Ice Devil's Rage!" he shouted, a massive torrent of ice flying from his mouth towards Zeref. The black wizard's eyes went wide, recognizing the similarities between this and Natsu's breath attack. It would not be escapable, and it would be a painful experience to be in the center of this attack.

He still tried, however, to get to the side and avoid the majority of the blast. Zeref rushed towards the wall, only for his body to be blown back by the torrent of ice surrounding his body. The shards tore apart his robe, some of them cutting his skin and leaving his body numb from the cold. His already wet hair began to freeze, solidifying on his head and making it feel far heavier than before. Zeref was thrown back entirely, his body blown over the railing of the cube and leaving him falling towards the ground, his body numb and his mind dazed from the blow.

Slowly, he began to think once more, even though his body still held some form of injury. The speed he was falling at was greater than usual, due to the force that threw him out originally. By the time Zeref recovered enough to realize what was going on, he had nearly collided with the ground below. His eyes went wide, his magic acting immediately to prevent the collision with the ground. Just inches away from the grass, he vanished from the sight of the few people who were in the village below, returning back to Tartaros in an instant.

Zeref knelt on the ground, breathing hard as his body healed over. Now, his skin was visible as the black frostbite faded from sight, the small cuts sealing over before Silver. "This…you can't be alive. Those wounds shouldn't be…this is just…" Silver began, trying to find the words.

Zeref rose to his feet, looking upwards towards the ice wizard. "I told you before, Silver. I am immortal. Any wounds you inflict upon my body will heal in seconds. You are powerful and capable of injuring me, however, you are not the one destined to kill me," he insisted. "I came here to fulfill your purpose, Silver. I no longer have a need for these demons, and with Natsu's help, I will destroy every last etherious I created."

Silver gazed at him with wide eyes, taking a deep breath as he thought for a moment. "You promise me, you will do this? I've still got enough power in me to keep trying, but it looks like neither of us can kill each other."

Zeref nodded, his gaze locking with Silver's. "Yes, I will. Even END will cease to exist, this is something I guarantee I will accomplish," Zeref told him. Silver smiled, looking relieved as he leaned against the wall, looking exhausted from the use of so much magic. "Oh, and if you wish to know, Gray is doing well. He is a part of a guild known as Fairy Tail, and while I do not know him well, I do know he is learning to move past what happened to your family."

Silver nodded, a slight smile on his face as he slid down to the ground, resting and gazing out at the sky. "That's good to hear. I didn't want him to live through that much pain any more, not when I could destroy these monsters that were just like Deliora. Promise me, you'll help take care of him, Zeref. I don't care what you've done or where you came from, but if we really want to help the world, we need more people like you around. People who know when they've made a mistake, who are willing to fight and give it everything they've got to fix it. You can help show Gray that it is possible to move on from darkness, to still find light in the world."

Zeref nodded, looking distant as he sat down next to the ice wizard, watching the sunset by his side. "Perhaps. I am not the best of friends to many, for I do not understand how to interact with others. My darkness has ruled my life for quite some time, but if it will help you find peace, I will at least attempt to aid your son."

Silver closed his eyes, leaning back with a smile. "Good. Then I think we can both rest in peace now. Thank you, for telling me about him, Zeref. I hope you find happiness with that Natsu kid you were with. You've earned it, especially after doing all this to fix your past mistakes."

Zeref nodded, smiling softly as the ice wizard slowly began to fade away, his life ending. Natsu must have found Keyes, and destroyed the demon. It was good to see this, to see just how unnatural it was for someone to be forced back into life. Silver did not wish to live on, not like this. Perhaps END felt the same, wherever he was in the world. The thought made Zeref smile, pleased that he would be giving another person peace then, by taking away the curse of being brought back to life.

 **Yeah, I might be skipping over a few battles simply due to the fact that POV limits which ones I can show. I kinda want to keep focusing on Zeref for now...because of what will be coming when this arc comes to an end. Either way, feel free to review and tell me what you think!**


	32. Chapter 32

**Disclaimer:** I am not the owner of Fairy Tail

Natsu caught up with Zeref not long after Silver's death. The black wizard was simply resting peacefully, feeling the warmth of the sun on his skin when the dragon slayer returned. "Man, that Keyes guy was weird. He kept going on and on about how killing him would be hurting Gray somehow…I just didn't get it."

Zeref nodded, rising to his feet. "Silver was Gray's father, Keyes was simply attempting to manipulate your actions with his words. The man was already dead, you simply helped him return to the place he belonged."

Natsu frowned, studying the black wizard carefully. While his body had healed, his robes were still torn from the battle he had been through. It made it clear that he had taken some damage during the fight, but he knew Natsu was more concerned about if Zeref himself was okay or not. "I am fine, Natsu. Silver may have been powerful, but he was not strong enough to destroy me."

The dragon slayer looked satisfied with that reply, moving forward with a serious expression on his face. "Good. Looks like we've gotta get moving, then. How many more demons do we have to stop, anyway?"

Zeref thought about it for a moment, going through the list of who they'd faced thus far. "Four, before Mard Geer," Zeref said at last, thinking it through.

Natsu nodded, looking eager as they moved through the halls. "Alright, sounds like a plan," he stated, looking eager to end this. "Only five more of those bastards to beat, and then you'll be back to your old self. I'm looking forward to seeing how you act without that curse of yours, Zeref," Natsu added with a grin.

Zeref gave Natsu a smile, feeling hope within him once more. They truly were so close to success, and it would not take them long to finish off Tartaros at this rate. Moving through the rooms of the guild, it did not take them long to locate Ezel and Tempester, both gathered in the room where demons went to be revived. Tempester was emerging from one of the pods, with Lamy eager to please both of them. "Oh, you are looking lovely, Tempester! It is such a shame that you forget who you are every time you return to life," she was saying.

Zeref eyed her, glancing over at Natsu who was frowning. "I had forgotten about her. I suppose she isn't that difficult to deal with," Zeref stated, seeing all three of them turn towards the wizards in the room.

"Tempester…is that me? Are those people my friends, or are they enemies?" the demon asked, with light blond hair framing his tanned face.

Ezel glanced over at them, frowning in confusion. "One of them appears to be Lord Zeref, but the other one is a stranger to me."

"Oh, this must be the intruder I've heard so much about! He's not nearly as cute as Lord Zeref, I think we should destroy that ugly face of his," Lamy insisted, pointing over at Natsu.

The dragon slayer frowned, still looking lost with this conversation. "Huh? What is she even talking about?" Natsu asked, glancing over at Zeref.

"She is in charge of resurrecting the fallen demons. I assume she designs their new appearances when they return to life," Zeref commented. "Regardless, I'd rather get this over with and move on. You still need to recover your magic energy after dealing with Keyes, is that correct?"

Natsu nodded, glancing over at them with a frown. "Yeah, but I've still got plenty to keep going against these losers."

"Losers! How dare you, I'll show you the might of—" Lamy was saying, but Zeref cut her off with a wave of his hand. Her entire body shrunk down, becoming nothing but a book on the floor while the other two demons watched, backing away slowly.

"I am tired of all of you. I appreciate all of your hard work, but at the moment, I hold no desire to see Face activated," Zeref told them, stepping closer to the other demons. "For acting against my wishes, it is time for you to face your punishment."

Ezel turned to run, but Zeref was quicker. Both of them returned to their dormant forms, nothing but books on the ground that he tossed to Natsu for destruction. Glancing around this room, Zeref sent waves of black magic towards each of the pods present. He was going to ensure that none of these demons could return again, destroying his legacy and any way for other wizards to discover how to bring demons to life.

Natsu didn't comment on the destruction of the room, simply looking focused as they left it to find the final three demons. "When we encounter Jackal, use his explosions to regain your strength," Zeref stated, glancing over at the dragon slayer. "While you must be careful around him in battle, his explosions are not far from flames, so you should be capable of eating them."

Natsu nodded, glancing over at Zeref with a grin. "Alright, sounds like a plan. While I deal with him, you go find Kyoka. That'll just leave us with the leader and END, right?"

Zeref nodded in agreement, moving forward within the cube. He was surprised Mard Geer had not shown his own face yet, but perhaps he was waiting for Zeref to find him. With how quickly the other demons were falling, Mard Geer would likely begin feeling some fear for his own existence.

Before long, Zeref and Natsu found themselves facing Jackal, a demon with cat-like feature standing before the two wizards. With a slight nod, Zeref moved to leave this battle to Natsu. The dragon slayer was more than capable of handling this demon, and it would be far more efficient for Zeref to find the others while Natsu finished off Jackal.

Kyoka was in the throne room, waiting with Mard Geer for Zeref's arrival. "Ah, welcome, Lord Zeref. I apologize for our extreme actions, we were simply trying to return to your side, so we could grant your wish," Mard Geer stated calmly, leaning on the armrest of his chair. Kyoka was standing beside him, looking nervous as Zeref focused his gaze on both of them.

"My wish has since changed, Mard Geer. I no longer desire death," Zeref told him, watching the demon freeze, his eyes wide as he gazed at the black wizard.

"That…but I've finally developed the curse powerful enough to destroy you. You can't simply change your mind, not when we're so close to victory," Mard Geer insisted.

Zeref glared at him, his eyes flashing as he focused on Kyoka first. "I have a new goal, Mard Geer, one that does not involve either of you." The female demon looked startled as Zeref waved his hand towards her, her entire body transforming and sealing away into a book on the ground. "I shall—" Zeref began, only for something else to become quite strong in his senses. A massive source of power was approaching them fast, one he would know anywhere. "No…he's coming again…" Zeref whispered, gazing upward towards the ceiling of the room.

Zeref glanced over at Mard Geer, deciding he didn't have time to waist on him. The demon vanished in seconds, just like Kyoka had. Grabbing both books, Zeref burned them together, leaving no trace of their existence left in the world. Stepping towards the throne, Zeref moved to pick up the Book of END and do the same, only for Natsu to come blasting into the room, shot back from one of Jackal's explosions.

"I told you, that trick isn't going to work on me next time!" Natsu stated, his elbow lighting up with another explosion. The dragon slayer put it in his mouth, eating it before the explosion even occurred.

Zeref stepped in, glaring over at Jackal and waving his hand at the demon. "We don't have time for this." Zeref stated, destroying the demon in seconds. Natsu blinked at Zeref in surprise, seeing the black wizard kneeling on the ground with a focused look on his face. "I think it is finally time…" Zeref mused, drawing on his magic. He was searching for them, for the dragon slayers who needed to be gathered here as soon as possible. Acnologia could not be stopped without them, at least, not with any chance of success.

It was easy to locate Wendy and Gajeel, the two dragon slayers Zeref knew well. They had been at the guild and his teleportation spell brought them here with ease. "What happened? The guild needs me…I was about to help protect the councilor in…" Wendy began, trailing off as she gazed around her.

Zeref was still focusing, a black magic circle under his palm that kept pulsing as he searched for the last two. "Sting and Rogue…what city is their guild in?" Zeref asked quietly, focusing hard on the spell.

"Oi, why bother with that? Those weaklings can't even stand a chance against me." Gajeel insisted, looking confident.

Zeref glanced upward towards Gajeel, narrowing his gaze at the dragon slayer. "Acnologia is coming, and we need all five of you present for this to work." Zeref stated. Natsu blinked in surprise, looking somewhat afraid at the mention of the dragon's name. Wendy looked nervous as well, while Gajeel did his best to look indifferent, scoffing and turning his head away from the black wizard.

Even if it took some time, Zeref did manage to locate Sting and Rogue, teleporting both dragon slayers to the room with him. "What the hell is going on? Rogue, weren't we just at Galuna Island for some weird job?" Sting asked, glancing over at the other dragon slayer.

Rogue nodded, frowning as he gazed around the room. "Yes, we were. If I recall correctly, the flyer asked us to destroy the moon, though I imagine there was some hidden message in that request that we did not understand."

Zeref ignored their confusion rising to his feet and gazing upward, sensing the approach of the black dragon nearby. "Prepare yourselves, for your job has changed," Zeref said, holding the Book of END against his side. "All of you are now here for one purpose. You will remain present until Acnologia arrives, and if you so choose, you will help stop the dragon from ending yet another era."

Natsu glanced at Zeref, frowning at his comment. "Of course we're staying to help! There's no way I'm letting you fight that monster alone, Zeref. Even if you are immortal, Acnologia is too powerful for you to handle on your own."

Zeref nodded, smiling over at Natsu. "Even if you dragon slayers leave, I do not believe I will be alone. As I stated before, it is time for our plans to finally come to their end."

Natsu was the only one here who knew about such a thing, frowning as he tried to figure out just what plan Zeref had put in place. "I…I will stay too! My magic will support you in battle, if we work together, we may be able to stop him this time. We've all grown since he attacked Tenrou Island, I'm sure we can at least hold him off…" Wendy began, before she gasped, stumbling back slightly and holding her hands around her chest.

Zeref could sense the magic in the air, feeling the dispersing of an ancient spell finally breaking. The other dragon slayers began acting much like Wendy, their bodies pulsing as they hunched over in pain. "He is here," Zeref said quietly, aware of what this would mean. The entire cube shuddered as he said those words, shaking and throwing them around as Acnolgoia attacked from outside, throwing the building to the ground. Zeref quickly created a magic circle on the floor, a massive black dome forming around all of them that prevented the falling rubble from crushing them alive. With yet another spell, Zeref teleported them to the surface of the destruction, where Acnologia stood, roaring into the sky.

"It is time for your reign of chaos to end, black dragon," Zeref stated calmly, while the dragon slayers all seemed to relax suddenly. In the sky above them, a new sight could be seen, one which no one had seen in over four hundred years. Five dragons were flying, all of them facing Acnologia with fierce looks of anger on their faces.

Acnologia laughed at his words, looking eager to face the dragons in combat. "We shall see, black wizard. I have killed dragons in the past; this will be no different than before," Acnologia claimed, flying up into the sky. Zeref observed from the ground, keeping his focus on the battle as Igneel charged in first, slashing out with his claws at Acnologia's shoulder. The black dragon dodged, slashing out with his tail only for Metallicana to grab the limb between his teeth. Acnologia roared in pain, his back leg kicking out and sending Metalicana flying backward in the air.

The dragon slayers were getting up slowly, rising next to Zeref and gazing upward in shock. "Igneel…he was…he was inside of me? How the hell did that happen? I don't remember eating him!"

Zeref glanced over at Natsu, aware of how difficult this would be for him to accept. "A binding spell, performed centuries ago that allowed these dragons to live on in some form when they should have been dead." The dragon slayers all glanced at him in shock, unsure of what to make of this. "This battle is their first and final battle of the era, for once they separated themselves from your bodies, they are incapable of surviving for much longer."

"No…Grandeeney just came back, I don't want her to…" Wendy was saying, sounding sad. Sting knelt by her side, touching her shoulder, but it was clear he was facing the same disbelief as her.

In the sky, Skiadrum vanished into the shadows, reappearing behind Acnolgoia and slamming his fist into the dragon's back. Acnologia growled in anger, slashing his claw through the shadow dragon's shoulder and injuring the beast. Flames then surrounded the black dragon, a result of Igneel's attack against the black dragon. With so many dragons attacking Acnologia at once, it was clear who the victor would be in this fight.

Glancing up, Zeref closed his eyes, focusing his power once more. "Dragons, I shall give you your chance. I will not be able to do this for long, so take advantage of it while you can," Zeref shouted out, focusing on his magic. He didn't do this often, and it was difficult to hold more powerful opponents down with this magic, but he was capable of freezing anyone in time if he chose to do so. It required immense focus and power, though, and for a dragon like Acnologia to be detained with it, Zeref would use far more energy than on anything else he had utilized this spell on before.

Slowly, the black dragon's motion began to stop, his body suspended in air as his motion was halted. The other dragons took their chance, claws tearing into the black dragon's scales and ripping away limbs and pieces of him. There would not be much remaining of the black dragon, but this spell took every ounce of power Zeref had in his body. He only held it for three seconds before collapsing, the spell vanishing and leaving Acnologia falling from the sky in pieces as Natsu caught Zeref's falling form.

The dragon slayers all watched as their dragons landed in front of them, looking sad as they spoke for one final time. Zeref could not focus enough to hear their words, but he could feel the pounding of Natsu's heart and feel the moisture falling into his hair. The dragon slayer was crying, and Zeref knew he would need some time to get over this blow. He had finally found his father, but the fact that Zeref had been so hesitant to tell Natsu, was that Igneel had already died long ago. This was a miracle, the two of them being able to speak for one last time, but ultimately, it would not be enough to make up for all the time Natsu had missed. Zeref felt the dragon slayer pull Zeref closer to him as he fell to his knees, the dragons vanishing before them in an instant. Zeref's eyes closed, the Book of END still limply clutched in his grip as the dragon slayers all fell into silence, mourning the deaths of the parents they all had thought were alive for so many years.

 **I've mentioned Acnologia enough in this fic that I figured he should have his canon scene of interruption during the Tartaros arc. Either way, Zeref now has the Book of END...things are getting very close now. Feel free to review and tell me what you think!**


	33. Chapter 33

**Disclaimer:** I am not the owner of Fairy Tail

When Zeref came back to consciousness, his head was resting in Natsu's lap. Both of them were still in the rubble of Tartaros' guild hall, in the face of the destruction of not only the guild, but the dragons as well. The sun was rising, a sign that Zeref had slept for much longer than he thought he would, but he still felt calm and his gaze was rising to see Natsu's grave expression.

The dragon slayer was likely aware that he was awake, but he did not speak. "Natsu…I…I am sorry," Zeref said at last, worried of what he would say.

"There was nothing you could have done," Natsu said after a few moments, sounding far more serious than usual. "Igneel…I had so much I wanted to tell him about, but I couldn't. You did all of this…so he could live one last time, on this very day. I guess I wouldn't have seen him at all if you hadn't done that, so that's something at least. Still…I just…I wanted…"

Zeref could see the tears on his face forming again, his breath catching as he gazed out over the destruction of this place. "Igneel is still a part of you, Natsu," Zeref stated, glancing around them. "So long as you remember him, you will never be far from him. That is how I've always moved on from the tragedies of my life, by simply remembering the ones I lost and keeping them close to my heart."

Natsu glanced over at Zeref, pulling the other boy close to his chest and burying his head into Zeref's neck. The black wizard was startled, focusing his mind for a moment on the benefits of death again to try and calm the rising magic within him. It wasn't too difficult to do at the moment, considering how the deaths of five dragons had just managed to save the world from Acnologia's destruction. "Can you just…stay here for a moment?"

Zeref nodded, wrapping his arms around Natsu in return. "Of course. I will always be here for you, Natsu. After all, I only have one last demon to destroy before I finally am free from my curse."

Natsu leaned back slightly, focusing on this for a moment as he gave Zeref a slight smile. "Really? Well, then let's get this taken care of right now. Hand that book over and I'll burn it to the ground just like all the others," Natsu said, reaching out for the book.

Zeref nearly handed it to Natsu, when he finally sensed what he had missed before. He had been so focused on Acnologia's presence that he hadn't noticed it at all, but now, his eyes went wide and he ripped the book away from Natsu, gazing down at the cover with horror in his gaze. "No…it can't be…" Zeref whispered, closing his eyes to check his senses. Sure enough, the book's magic seemed to be tethered to Natsu himself, a lifeline that neither of them had been aware of until this moment.

"What's wrong? I mean, we came here to destroy it, didn't we?" Natsu asked, not seeing the problem. Zeref's mind was already running through all the facts however, how everything about Natsu made so much more sense now. The immense power within the dragon slayer was a result of the demonic power sealed within him. If that seal had broken, that curse power would indeed take over Natsu's usual personality, tainting it to something darker and much more like the demons of Tartaros. All of it, it was all tied back to the one demon Zeref had forgotten the face of, the one who had grown up and aged unlike the others. He simply did not realize END's face would be that of someone he cared for.

Ankhseram's warning flashed in his mind, telling Zeref that his curse would remain if even one demon remained in existence. "I…I can't…I can't destroy him," Zeref said at last, hunching over on the ground and pressing a hand into his hair. Tears were running down his cheeks, realizing just what he had done to Natsu so long ago.

The dragon slayer was more focused now, distracted from his grief and confused over Zeref's refusal to end his own curse. "Why the hell not? I mean, I get that you brought the kid back to life, but it's not like you know him anymore," Natsu demanded, reaching out for the book again.

Zeref saw this, moving on instinct and sending Natsu back with a wave of his own magic. "No! I will not let you…I cannot…" Zeref said shakily, closing his eyes as he began to wonder just what he could do. Even if he did not destroy Natsu intentionally, it was highly likely his curse would kill the boy one day. What was the use, if he delayed it for another day? Another week? Ultimately, Natsu was destined to die before him, but perhaps there was still another way for him to find some measure of peace from this. "I…Natsu, you must do it," Zeref said after a few moments, rising to his feet and gazing at the dragon slayer, with tears in his eyes. "Kill me, so I do not have to live through the suffering destroying this book will cause."

Natsu glared at Zeref, anger in his eyes. "How many times do I have to tell you, Zeref? I am not going to kill you, damn it! You are a part of my family, and we have a plan for our future together. Don't throw that away because you can't deal with a little pain!" Natsu argued. "Everyone loses something to get what they want. I realized that last night, when Igneel died to save my home. We still have to stand up and move on, looking towards our future rather than focusing on what we've lost."

Zeref pressed a hand to his forehead, tears still falling down his cheeks. "Perhaps…perhaps this will help you understand," Zeref said at last, raising the book in his own hand. With his other finger, Zeref released a small blast of black magic, tearing through only a corner of the book. Natsu himself gasped in pain, clutching his shoulder as a hole appeared in his body, bleeding down his arm and leaving him staring at Zeref in shock. "I didn't realize it until now….Natsu, you are END. This is what Ankhseram was trying to tell me…warning me about the demon I would not be capable of destroying." Natsu was staring at Zeref with wide eyes, shocked and uncertain of how to react. "If you kill me, Natsu, your life will end as well. This way, we can both find our peace, together."

Natsu growled in irritation, looking angry as he glared over at Zeref. "No, there has to be another way! I'm not letting you die, Zeref, not for something stupid like this. I mean, what good would that do, just having you die with me?" he questioned, glaring at the black wizard as he stepped closer to Zeref.

The black wizard did not reply to his question, staring at Natsu with a small smile. "I am glad to have met you, Natsu. I did not think I would find someone to care for again, yet you proved me wrong and showed me that I still had a small chance for a future."

Natsu focused on Zeref, shaking his head at the boy. "You still do," he said at last, glancing around with a sigh. "I'm not meant to be alive right now, Zeref. The only reason I was ever here…was because of your magic. I may not understand much, and I may want to spend time with my friends, but I'm not going to let you suffer because you did something that wasn't supposed to be done," he stated. "Do it, Zeref. Kill me, so you can live on and have a normal life."

Zeref gazed at Natsu, his tears falling even faster now as the dragon slayer stepped closer to him. "Natsu, I can't do this again. I killed Mavis…I can't….I never wanted to love again, because I knew it would end this way."

Natsu gave Zeref a small smile, reaching out and wrapping his arms around the boy. Zeref's head rested against Natsu's chest, feeling the other boy run his hand through Zeref's black hair. "I know, but that only proves my point further. From the moment I met you and we became friends, I was putting my life at risk. Who knows how many more years we would have had, if you kept your curse going on? Maybe it would have only been a few hours more, maybe even less. Ultimately, no matter what you do, I will die first, Zeref. If it brings you some measure of peace now, I would be happy to give you the freedom to make friends again, and to have a normal life free of all this darkness around you. After all, didn't I promise to help you find a better path for your life? I guess this is the way to get there. Even if it starts sadly, you will find happiness at the end of the road."

Zeref sobbed, clutching Natsu's vest tightly under his hands. "Natsu, I will never forget you," he stated, glancing over at the fire wizard. Natsu nodded, giving Zeref a small smile as the black wizard lifted his head, pressing his mouth against Natsu's. Unlike before, this kiss was salty and bittersweet, filled with all of the hopes Zeref had once held for their future that would never be realized. Zeref let the book fall to the ground, his hands moving towards Natsu's scarf that was already turning black from Zeref's magic. The dragon slayer let Zeref unwrap it from his neck, feeling Zeref deepen the kiss so he could burn this moment into his memory for the rest of his life. He was not going to let Natsu's sacrifice go in vain. He would live on, and he would find a way to keep Natsu's legacy alive, by making friends and always focusing on the brightest sides of life.

When Zeref pulled back, it was exactly like it had been with Mavis nearly a hundred years ago. Natsu's scarf was loosely gripped in his hand, as the dragon slayer's body slumped over, limp and devoid of life in his grasp. A shudder went through Zeref's body, a powerful sensation of magic leaving his body and altering him massively as he sat on the ground, holding Natsu's body. The black wizard released the breath he had been holding, tears still falling down his cheeks as he rose to his feet, picking Natsu up with him. Glancing down, Zeref could see the now powerless book on the ground, the only thing remaining of how the dragon slayer had even come to live this long.

Carefully shifting Natsu's weight in his arms, Zeref knelt down and placed the book on Natsu's lap. He would hold onto that book, a reminder of the dragon slayer who had sacrificed his life for Zeref. Glancing at the cover, he realized that the title was so much more fitting for Natsu than he had ever realized. END, or Etherious Natsu Dragneel, the name that had been gifted to the boy at his rebirth so long ago.

With Natsu and the book in his arms, Zeref began to walk forward, his head hung low as he moved to return to Magnolia. When he arrived in the city, the streets were still quite deserted, a bit too early for people to be out and about, doing things in life. It would be about an hour before most of the citizens woke up, and that let Zeref walk through the town in peace, unbothered by the people who would panic at the sight of Natsu's body.

Zeref's head was hung low when he arrived at Fairy Tail, feeling far too familiar as he walked inside with Natsu's body. He was half-tempted to tell them that he was here to return Natsu to them, just because of how similar it felt. Few people were here at the time, his gaze seeing Mira at the counter with the guild master sitting on one of the stools. Cana was here as well, drinking as usual. Any wizards Zeref actually wished to see were absent, leaving Zeref walking towards Makarov instead. "I am sorry," he said quietly, getting the old man's attention.

Makarov glanced up towards him, his body freezing at the sight of Natsu in Zeref's arms. "My curse…we found a way to end it, but ultimately, Natsu paid the price to do so."

Makarov gazed at Natsu, reaching out slowly to touch the boy's chest and be sure there was no heart beating there. "Natsu…my dear child, you will be gravely missed," he stated at last, glancing up towards Zeref. "Do not let his sacrifice be for nothing, Zeref. I may not have understood why Natsu cared for you so much, but I do know that he would want you to live your life to the fullest. If you ever find yourself wishing to be a part of a family, let me know and I will gladly let you become a part of our guild."

Zeref nodded, glancing down at Natsu's body in his arms. "I…I would enjoy that, but I do not think I fit in here," Zeref said at last. His gaze scanned over the members of the guild, wondering where he did belong. "My past, I am still not over all of the things I've done, and I do not think your members would be willing to accept that."

Makarov nodded, taking a drink out of his cup as Zeref set Natsu down on the ground, keeping the book in his arms. "That is understandable. You've caused these people a lot of strife, in many different ways. It will take them time to understand that it was never your intention to cause them pain, but eventually, they will learn to move on. Forgiveness is something you earn, Zeref, it is not freely given. If you come here and try, I think you will find that there are more people here than you originally realized with dark pasts to forget and move on from."

Zeref nodded, thoughtful as he gazed around this place. Natsu had loved it here so much, even if Zeref did not understand why. "Perhaps…though I cannot guarantee I will remain for long," Zeref said at last. "I am still the emperor of the Alvarez Empire, even if I have lost the power that allowed me to rule over them so firmly."

Makarov nodded, looking over to Mira who came closer. There were tears in her eyes, a sign that she had overheard his conversation with Makarov about Natsu. "Welcome, Zeref. I think Natsu would be proud of you right now, seeing you as a part of Fairy Tail," she stated, holding a stamp out towards Zeref. Glancing down at Natsu, Zeref decided he knew exactly where he wanted that stamp. Rolling up the sleeve of his robe, Zeref held his shoulder out towards Mira, letting her place a red stamp on his shoulder, matching Natsu's own guild mark. It would be the small acts like this that would keep Natsu's memory alive, even if he himself was gone. One day, he would explain Natsu's death to the others, but for now, he needed to recover from this event himself. As soon as he received his mark, Zeref left the guild without another word, leaving Natsu's body behind as he moved to find a place to rest. Natsu had shown Zeref his home once, and with the dragon slayer no longer available to occupy it, Zeref decided he would make it his own. It would be a peaceful place to rest, a place where he would learn to move on, even as he kept Natsu's memory close to his heart.

 **This chapter was so sad to write...I cried while making it. However, I do have one more chapter left, an epilogue of sorts for this story to at least end it on a bit of a brighter note than this chapter. Thank you all for reading thus far, I really hope you enjoyed! Feel free to review and let me know what you think!**


	34. Epilogue

**Disclaimer:** I am not the owner of Fairy Tail

Two years had passed since that day, the day Zeref lost his curse and Acnologia fell. The dragon slayers had mourned for the deaths of their dragons, all of them coping in their own way over that tragedy, but the biggest ceremony had been for the lost dragon slayer himself. Natsu had been given a proper funeral, one which nearly all of Fairy Tail had attended. Only Zeref had been absent, unable to face the truth of what he had done to gain his own freedom.

Being a part of Fairy Tail was interesting, to say the least. Zeref didn't do more work than absolutely necessary within the guild, staying to himself most of the time. Sometimes, he would work with Lucy, Wendy, Gray, or Erza, but others would avoid him and were too nervous to speak with him. Over time, this feeling had changed, however, and now, Zeref was viewed as a usual member of the guild, even if he didn't speak much to anyone within.

Zeref always wore Natsu's scarf around his neck, one which Wendy had now healed and returned to normal. Mavis sometimes would come and speak with him about Natsu's death, trying to help sooth him through the pain he was going through. Even she could not get the black wizard to smile again, however. No matter what he was doing or who he was with, Zeref was always frowning, his gaze distant and sad. His heart was unreachable, broken far too many times for him to find happiness again even in a guild as close as Fairy Tail.

Even so, he was a free man in all senses of the word. Not only had his curse vanished, Zeref was also pardoned for his crimes along with Jellal and the rest of Crime Sorciere. A lot of pleading had been done on his part by Fairy Tail and other members of the council, arguing for the good he had done in recent years. Surprisingly, his greatest supporter had been the most powerful wizard in all of Fiore, God Serena. No one but Zeref knew that the wizard saint's argument had been because God Serena was a member of the Spriggan Twelve. In the end, they all decided it would be better to have Zeref as an ally, rather than an enemy, so they decided to end the chase on the black wizard.

Today, Zeref was standing with Natsu's old team in front of a familiar set of ruins. Jellal, Meredy, and Ultear had agreed to meet with him here, to discuss his plans for this place's future. "What are you going to do here, Zeref?" Lucy asked, seeing the black wizard gazing at the ruins with a distant look in his eyes.

"What I should have done long ago," he replied, seeing Jellal approach with Ultear and Meredy at his side. It was clear now what had happened during the Eclipse Gate attack, with Ultear visible next to Jellal. She was far older than she ever should have been, her years stripped from her for a single spell that had cost her everything.

"I heard you were looking for our aid. It isn't often I hear from you these days, Zeref.\," Jellal commented, glancing over at the former black wizard.

Zeref shrugged, focusing on Ultear instead. "I understand you are weaker now, however, are you still capable of turning back time on a place like this?"

Ultear studied it for a moment, nodding after a few seconds. "It would be a bit of a challenge, but I think I can manage. I don't have much magic left in me these days," Ultear commented, while Meredy glanced at her with concern.

"I am reopening Mildian Magic Academy," Zeref declared to them, watching the other wizards stare at him in shock. "A few people in my past have told me I should revive the lost magic of healing, and this would be a good place to start. Long ago, this academy was known for its ability to train any wizard to heal, and I will return it to its former glory."

"That sounds like a wonderful dream," Erza commented. "I am glad you've found something you wish to do, Zeref. I had thought you were losing your way."

Zeref closed his eyes, taking a deep breath as he shook his head. "I have. This is simply following what he wanted me to do."

Everyone remained silent for a moment after that, their smiles fading and their heads hung low. Natsu was missed by all of them, even now. Still, they had done their best to pick up the pieces and move on, living their lives even without the dragon slayer in them.

Ultear took the moment to raise her arm, focusing on her magic to slowly begin repairing the academy to what it once was. Time reversed on this place, reviving the building that had been decayed beyond saving at one point. Now, it stood once more as a magnificent academy, tall walls and towers rising in the air made of stone. The sign above the door was legible, labeling the school as Mildian Magic Academy once more. "I think I may rest here as well, if you do not mind. I have become quite idle over the recent years. Dark magic hasn't been quite as popular lately, now that you are known to have reformed from your ways," Jellal said.

Erza nodded in agreement. "Yes, this would be an excellent job for all of us, a way to reunite our former team and begin to grow stronger once more."

Slowly, Gray and Lucy were smiling and nodding in agreement as well. Zeref eventually nodded too, walking inside and letting them do as they pleased. He claimed the same room that had been his own before, while the others found places to call their own within the repaired walls of the academy. In his room, Zeref sighed and sat on his bed, reaching over onto the desk to pick up the Book of END, studying the cover once more. He had often wondered if there had been another way, back then, a way to save Natsu from this fate. Maybe he would have been happier if he had let the dragon slayer live, but he knew Natsu would never have let it happen.

Zeref closed his eyes, leaning back against the wall as he tried to find some measure of calmness in this place. He had done this in memory of Natsu, thinking about the way the dragon slayer wanted him to bring back healing magic to the public. Zeref had indeed been working with Wendy over the past few years, and while she had grown, he had done nothing to help others yet. This was a large move, forcing him to come into contact with far more people than before. Even without his curse, Zeref was still used to shying away from others, keeping to himself and talking as little as possible.

Zeref heard a door open, and he did his best to ignore it. Within his thoughts was the only place he could see Natsu, and he did not like others interrupting him when he meditated on such things. He could only imagine how happy the dragon slayer would be about this place, seeing how Zeref planned on reviving the school he had once shown Natsu so long ago. The dragon slayer would likely make a comment about how old and dusty it looked, before wondering where he could find food here. The thought nearly made Zeref smile, until he remembered that Natsu would not do such things ever again.

With a sigh, the black wizard opened his eyes and froze, his heart pounding in his chest at the sight of two eyes gazing directly into his own. Someone's face was right in front of his, inches away from him with a toothy grin on his face. "Hey, Zeref, how've you been?" a familiar voice asked, cheerful as if nothing had happened.

Zeref could not reply, wondering if he had finally gone insane from all the years he had lived through. Laughter came from the boy in front of him, amused by Zeref's reaction. "I knew you'd react like this! I mean, Ankhseram didn't really expect you to go through with it. He was surprised when he saw my spirit wandering around in his realm. I got mad at him at first, and I think I angered him a bit. Don't know why, I only destroyed a _few_ trees there," Natsu commented, continuing on. "Either way, he claimed he didn't want to deal with me yet and sent me back down here. Ankhseram told me to tell you that he wanted to show you that even he could have mercy in some form, and I guess this is his mercy."

Zeref's breathing was calmer now, staring at Natsu with wide eyes. "So…it truly is you?" he asked, seeing the boy grin at him.

"Yep, it's been a while, hasn't it?"

Zeref didn't wait to hear anything else, seeing that he had the one thing he was missing for these past few years. He grabbed Natsu's shoulders tightly, pulling him closer and pressing his lips against those of the dragon slayer. Natsu was surprised, but just as fierce when he returned Zeref's kiss. The black wizard had finally found his peace, and he could now finally smile again. With Natsu back, nothing was going to keep him from living his life to its fullest, the way it was meant to be lived. Perhaps Ankhseram was not evil in any form, nor was the god cruel. Just as he had claimed before, there had to be balance in everything, and for Zeref, all that he had needed was a little bit of happiness to balance out the darkness of his past. Natsu was the light that chased away the darkness in his life, and now, Zeref was never going to let him go again.

 **And we're finished! Thank you all for reading this story. If you have any comments or feedback for me, please leave a review and tell me your thoughts!**


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